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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

IN  MEMORY  OF 
EDWIN  CORLE 

PRESENTED  BY 
JEAN  CORLE 


FRANK  MERRIWELL'S  HUNTING  TOUR 


"Frank   felt  liis  blood  seething  in  his  veins, 
sport."    See  page  100. 


Surety,  this  was  life  and 


FRANK   MERRI WELL'S 
HUNTING  TOUR 


BY 

BURT  L.  STANDISH 

AUTHOR  OF 

'Frank  Merriwell's  Schooldays,"  "Frank  Merriwell's  Chums,"  "Frank 
Merriwell's  Foes,"  etc. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

DAVID    McKAY,    PUBLISHER, 

604-8  SOUTH  WASHINGTON  SQUARE. 


Copyright,  1903 
By  STREET  &  SMITH 


Prank  Merriwell's  Hunting  Tour 


Frank  Merriwell's  Hunting  Tour 


CHAPTER  I. 

FRANK  FINDS  A  MISSION. 

Bump — thud ! 

One  boy 'had  been  walking,  the  other  running.  They 
collided  at  the  corner  of  two  streets,  and  both  fell  heavily. 

"Beg-a  de  pardon,  senor.  Very  great-a  mistake! 
Beg-a  de  pardon  very  much !" 

"Let  up!  What  are  you  begging  my  pardon  for,  old 
man?  I  am  the  one  to  beg  pardon.  You  were  walking 
— I  running — came  to  corner — didn't  look — biff! — here 
we  are." 

The  speaker  laughed.  It  was  a  jolly,  free-and-easy,  re 
assuring  boy's  laugh.  The  other  lad  had  a  sad,  dusky 
face,  with  big,  dark  eyes  that  seemed  filled  with  a  haunted 
fear.  His  appearance  and  his  language  showed  he  was 
not  a  native  of  the  United  States. 

The  boy  who  had  been  running,  jumped  up. 

"Here  you  go,  old  man,"  he  cried,  catching  the  othel 
by  the  hand  and  drawing  him  to  his  feet. 

"Unfortunate  blunder.  Very  sorry.  In  a  hurry. 
Must  catch  a  train." 

He  flashed  out  a  handsome  watch,  and  glanced  at  it, 
whistled  softly,  then  asked : 

"How  far  is  it  to  the  Townsend  Street  railway  sta 
tion?" 

2035389 


8  Frank  Finds  a  Mission. 

"I  cannot  tell,  senor,"  was  the  respectful  reply,  although 
the  words  seemed  to  be  uttered  in  a  bewildered  way.  "I 
do  not  know  what  place  dis  is  at  all." 

"Hum!  So?  Why,  this  is  Bush  Street,  this  is  Bat 
tery,  and  that  is  Market,  over  there." 

"No,  no !    I  mean  I  do  not  know  what  citee  dis  is." 

"How?  Don't  know  what  city  this  is?  Say,  what 
have  you  been  up  against,  old  man  ?" 

"I  speak  de  trute,  senor,"  was  the  humble,  almost  cring 
ing,  protest.  "I  know  not  where  I  be  here — I  know  not 
where  I  be." 

"Whew!"  whistled  the  American  lad,  beginning  to 
look  the  other  boy  over  with  keen  interest.  "Off  your 
trolley,  eh?  Why,  this  is  San  Francisco,  in  the  State  of 
California,  which  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  gems 
in  that  glorious,  scintillating  collection  known  as  the 
United  States  of  America.  Are  you  on  ?" 

The  dark-eyed  lad  looked  still  more  bewildered  by  this 
spread-eagle  manner  of  delivering  information. 

"De  United  States?"  he  murmured.  "I  think  I  must 
be  dere." 

"What?  Didn't  even  know  you  were  in  the  United 
States?  Well,  are  you  sure  you're  on  earth?  Jupiter! 
but  you  interest  me!  Wonder  if  I  can  catch  that  train 
now?" — again  glancing  at  his  watch.  "Don't  look  as 
If  I  would.  Well,  let  her  go.  Will  have  to  wire  pro 
fessor  again.  'Missed  train.  Did  not  start.  Try  again 
•to-morrow.'  How '11  that  go?" 

"I  do  not  know  what  you  talk-a  about,  senor." 

"Of  course  you  don't ;  stupid  of  me.  I'll  introduce  my 
self.  I  am  Frank  Merriwell,  a  traveler  by  profession  just 
at  present.  I  had  a  rich  uncle— -queer  old  fellow — who 
died  and  left  me  a  fortune.  In  his  will  he  provided  that, 
in  order  that  I  might  increase  my  knowledge  of  the 
and  broaden  my  ideas,  I  should  travel.  I  have 


hrank  hinds  a  Mission.  9 

been  doing  so,  in  company  with  my  guardian,  Professor 
Orman  Tyler  Scotch,  generally  known  as  'Hot  Scotch/ 
and  some  companions.  Companions  went  home;  pro 
fessor  was  called  East  on  urgent  business.  I  wouldn't  go 
until  I  had  seen  San  Francisco.  Ready  to  start  to-day; 
sent  all  my  luggage  to  station,  then  ran  over  to  view 
Chinatown  once  more.  Took  too  much  time  about  it, 
and  was  sprinting  for  a  cab  when  I  collided  with  you. 
There  you  have  it  in  a  nutshell.  Now,  let  drive  at  me.  I 
am  curious  to  know  how  it  happens  you  don't  know  where 
you  are  at." 

"Canltrust-ayou?" 

"I  think  so;  but  I  may  be  somewhat  stuck  on  myself." 

"I  think  I  can.  You  have-a  de  good  face.  But  I  have 
been  fool  so  many  time.  I  tell  you  de  story.  It  is  long." 

"That  so?  Then  we  won't  stand  here.  Where'll  we 
go?  You  look  hungry." 

"Si,  senor ;  have  not  eat  in  long  time." 

"Well,  we'll  fix  that.  Wonder  where  the  nearest  res 
taurant  is  ?  Must  be  one  close  at  hand  on  Market  Street. 
Come  along." 

"Si,  senor." 

"Don't  'Si,  senor'  me  any  more,  please.  I  am  no  more 
than  a  year  older  than  you.  My  name  is  Frank  Merri- 
well.  Call  me  Frank.  What  is  your  handle  ?" 

"Handale?     I  do  not  understand." 

"Oh,  that's  a  Western  expression  that  I  have  picked  up. 
I  mean  to  ask  your  name." 

"Matias — Juan  Matias." 

"Good!  You'll  be  Juan;  I'll  be  Frank.  That  goes. 
Now  for  something  to  eat." 

A  few  minutes  later  the  two  lads,  who  had  thus 
strangely  met,  were  seated  in  a  restaurant,  and  Frank 
Merriwell,  already  well  known  to  readers  of  this  series, 
had  ordered  a  square  meal  for  Juan,  which  was  quickljr 


io  Frank  Finds  a  Mission. 

served.  The  boy  with  the  dark  eyes  began  eating  in  a 
way  that  showed  he  was  extremely  hungry,  although  he 
did  everything  with  a  refinement  and  grace  of  manner 
£  iat  told  his  breeding  had  been  of  the  best. 

When  Juan's  appetite  was  well  satisfied,  Frank  said : 
"Now,  partner,  for  your  story.     You  said  it  was  long. 
Cut  it  short  as  possible — condense  it.     We  Yankees  be 
lieve  in  condensations.    You're  Spanish?" 
"My  father  was— or  is — a  Spaniard." 
"Was  or  is  ?    What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?" 
"Alas !     Senor  Frank,  I  know  not  if  my  father  be  liv 
ing  or  dead." 

"Drop  the  senor;  I'm  Frank.  Here's  a  mystery!  I 
love  mysteries.  Get  after  that  yarn,  Juan." 

"As  you  say.  I  will  make  it  short.  My  father  was 
born  in  Spain,  of  noble  ancestors.  You  see  I  speak  good 
English  when  I  am  not  excited.  You  wonder?  I  will 
explain.  My  mother  was  an  English  lady.  He  met  her 
in  Paris,  while  traveling.  She  was  also  traveling.  He 
saw  her,  admired  her,  sought  her  to  be  properly  pre 
sented,  and  was  fortunate  in  obtaining  an  introduction. 
He  loved  her,  and  she  loved  him  at  first  sight.  But  there 
were  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  marriage — difficulties  on 
both  sides.  He  told  her  of  Spain.  A  year  later  they  met 
in  Madrid.  They  had  not  lost  track  of  each  other  in  all 
that  year.  In  Madrid  my  mother  also  met  the  Marques 
de  la  Villa  de  Villar  de  la  Aguila.  He  loved  my  mother 
likewise.  My  father  and  the  marques  quarreled;  they 
fought  a  duel.  My  father  think  he  have  killed  the 
marques,  and  he  fly  from  Spain,  where  next  he  go  to 
Chili.  The  marques  does  not  die,  but  he  hate  my  father. 
Fate  bring  my  father  and  my  mother  together  again,  and 
they  be  married.  One  year  later  my  sistare  is  born ;  then, 
in  another  year,  I  am  born.  In  Chili  my  father  come  to 
be  a  great  man.  He  have  power  and  influence  in  poll- 


Frank  Finds  a  Mission.  1 1 

tics,  and  he  grow  to  be  rich.  Fifteen  years  he  live  in  Chili 
— Santiago,  Valparaiso  and  other  places.  Then  the  Mar 
ques  de  la  Villa  del " 

"Cut  it  short,  Juan;  give  us  his  last  name." 

"The  Marques  Aguila  come  to  Chili  and  find  my  father. 
He  plot  against  my  father.  The  revolutionary  war — it 
come,  and  my  father  he  in  it.  When  it  is  over  my  father 
have  to  fly  for  his  life,  and  to  leave  everything.  The 
marques  pursues  to  capture — to  keel-a  my  father.  But 
my  father  he  escape.  We  live  hid  in  de  mountains.  But 
always  we  fear  de  marques,  for  he  be  rich-a  and  power 
ful.  In  de  mountains  be  de  bandits.  Black  Miguel 
lead-a  dem.  De  marques  offar  Black  Miguel  de  pardone 
if  he  will  capture  my  father.  Ha!  what  you  think  of 
dat?" 

"I  think  your  father  was  in  a  bad  box.  Couldn't  he 
get  out  of  the  country?" 

"I  tell  you,"  explained  Juan,  excitedly.  "My  mother 
have  grow  ill — my  sweet  mother!  Father  have  my  sis- 
tare  and  myself,  wid  my  mother.  We  try  to  go  over  de 
mountains  to  Mendoza.  My  mother  be  weak,  and  de 
mountain  sickness  take  her  high  upon  de  mountain.  She 
be  faint — she  fall  from  de  saddle!  Den  she  bleed-a  at 
de  nose !  My  father  know  to  save  her  we  must  go  back. 
Dat  we  have  to  do,  and  we  live  in  the  valley  again.  My 
mother — my  sweet  mother! — she  get  worse  and  worse, 
and  den  she  die!  Oh,  senor — oh,  Frank,  dere  we  bury 
her !  Den  my  father  do  not  want  to  go  away.  He  stay 
by  her  grave,  all  his  life  gone  wid  her." 

The  tears  were  running  down  Juan's  face,  and  his  chin 
was  quivering.  Frank  turned  away  and  coughed,  which 
gave  him  an  excuse  for  producing  his  handkerchief. 

For  some  minutes  there  was  silence,  and  then  the  low, 
musical  voice  of  Juan  began  again: 

"I  make  it  short,  now,  Frank.    Dere  we  stay  and  stay. 


12  Frank  Finds  a  Mission. 

My  sistare  be  beautiful — she  look  like  my  mother  when 
my  mother  is  a  little  girl.  We  live  some  way — any  way. 
I  always  fear  Black  Miguel  find  us,  but  my  father  seem 
to  have  lost  fear  and  care.  Then — Frank — then  my  father 
he  disappear." 

"Disappears  ?" 

"We  never  know-a  where  he  go — we  never  know  what 
become  of-a  him.  Pepita,  my  sistare,  and  I  go  every 
where — we  hunt,  search,  but  do  not  find-a  him." 

"What  next,  Juan — what  next?" 

"My  sistare!"  cried  the  Spanish  lad,  clasping  his 
hands — "one  day  she  disappear,  too !  Oh,  I  be  crazee !  I 
wander  in  de  mountain,  calling  all  de  time,  'Pepita,  Pepita, 
Pepita !'  Sometime  I  think-a  I  heard  her  ansare.  I  lis 
ten.  It  be  de  wind  in  de  rocks.  One  time  some  way,  I 
find  myself  in  a  strange  valley,  near  to  de  blind  valley  of 
Cerillos.  I  cannot  get  out ;  I  do  not  know  how  I  come-a 
dere.  I  be  sick,  faint,  hungree.  I  think  I  must  die  there. 
I  call-a  to  Pepita.  Den,  senor — den,  Frank,"  cried  Juan, 
rising  to  his  feet,  his  face  working  with  excitement,  "I 
hear  her  ansare  somewhere — somewhere  in  de  air!  I 
cannot  see  her ;  I  see  a  big-a  black  hole  far  up  in  de  rock. 
I  look  away.  When  I  look  again,  I  see  dat  hole  no  more ! 
It  be  gone !  Den  I  get  crazee !  Next  I  know,  many  men 
be  round  me.  Dey  must  be  de  men  of  Black  Miguel.  I 
be  seize,  tied,  blindfold !  I  struggle-a,  but  no  use.  Dey 
feed  me,  dey  carry  me  away,  dey  put  me  on  a  horse,  we 
travel  many  day.  Den  we  be  at  the  sea.  I  am  put  on  a 
ship,  kept  in  de  dark-a,  oh,  so  long — so  long !  And  den, 
in  the  night,  I  be  brought  to  de  land,  and  left.  I  find 
myself  in  strange  place  where  de  English  is  spoke-a.  I 
walk-a,  walk-a.  I  am  afraid;  I  speak  to  nobody.  Den 
you  run  to  me,  and  we  fall  down.  You  know  the  rest." 

Frank  Merriwell's  eyes  were  blazing  with  excitement. 
Neither  lad  heeded  that  many  eyes  were  on  them. 


Frank  Finds  a  Mission.  13 

"Juan,"  cried  Frank,  "you  have  been  wronged!  With 
the  aid  of  Providence,  your  wrong  shall  be  righted !" 

"Oh,  Frank,  I  fear  never!  And  my  poor  little  sis- 
tare  !  Look,  Frank,"  taking  a  locket  from  his  bosom  and 
opening  it  for  the  other  lad  to  see,  "dis  is  her  picture. 
Oh,  where  is  she  now  ?" 

It  was  the  sweet,  innocent  face  of  a  girl  of  sixteen  at 
which  Frank  Merriwell  gazed,  and  he  felt  his  chivalrous 
nature  stirred  to  its  depths.  There  was  a  tender  plead 
ing  in  the  pictured  eyes  that  he  could  not  resist. 

"Juan,  we  will  find  where  she  is — we  will  rescue  her !" 

"How?" 

"By  going  to  her !  I  have  money  enough,  Juan,  and  I 
am  not  going  East.  I  shall  send  a  message  to  Professor 
Scotch  immediately,  and  together,  you  and  I  will  take  the 
first  steamship  for  Valparaiso." 

"Oh,  my  good  friend,  is  dat  possible?" 

"It  is  possible,  and  it  shall  be !  It  shall  be  my  mission 
to  solve  this  mystery,  to  learn  your  father's  fate,  to  save 
your  sister !  Juan,  your  hand !  We  are  partners  on  the 
box  seat — partners  till  the  mission  is  ended !" 

Their  hands  met  in  the  clasp  of  undying  friendship. 


CHAPTER  II. 

OLD    FRIENDS    MEET. 

Toward  sunset  of  a  beautiful  day  the  steamer  Cali 
fornia,  cleared  from  San  Francisco,  dropped  anchor  in  the 
harbor  of  Valparaiso. 

On  the  forward  deck  two  lads,  Frank  Merriwell  and 
Juan  Matias,  were  gazing  at  the  picturesque  city  that  rose 
on  the  slope  beyond  the  quay,  with  the  purple  mountains, 
the  mighty  Andes,  making  a  background  in  the  remote 
distance. 

"Hurrah,  Juan !"  cried  Frank,  in  his  impulsive  way, 
"we  are  here !" 

"Yes,  Frank." 

"Why,  what's  the  matter  with  you?  You  say  that  as 
if  your  heart  were  heavy  with  fear." 

"So  it  is.  Ah,  Frank,  something  tell  me  we  soon  be 
in  great  danger." 

"Danger  be  hanged !  You  should  be  happy  to  get  back 
— happy  at  the  prospect  of  soon  finding  your  father  and 
sister." 

"But  I  fear  we  can  never  find  them,  and  I  fear " 

"Get  out  with  your  fears !  We  will  find  them !  I  have 
made  it  my  mission.  Come,  cheer  up.  How  do  we  get 
ashore  ?" 

"See  the  little  boats  coming  off  to  us,  Frank.  They 
will  set  us  ashore." 

It  was  nearly  an  hour  later,  however,  before  arrange 
ments  had  been  made  so  that  they  were  taken  upon  one  of 
those  boats. 


Old  Friends  Meet.  15 

Before  long,  each  with  a  leather  grip  in  hand,  they 
were  hastening  to  find  a  hotel  in  Valparaiso. 

It  was  the  hour  when  there  was  the  most  life  and  move 
ment  in  the  city,  and,  in  many  ways,  the  scenes  reminded 
Frank  of  those  he  had  beheld  in  Mexico. 

Throngs  of  people,  in  red,  orange  and  blue,  strolled 
everywhere.  The  greater  part  of  the  women  wore  re- 
bozas  and  scarlet  sashes,  although,  to  break  the  harmony 
of  all  this,  Parisian  gowns  and  bonnets  were  in  evidence. 
There  were  men  wearing  vermilion  scrapes  about  their 
shoulders,  with  wide  hats  of  felt,  trimmed  with  silver,  and 
breeches  of  pink  buckskin,  held  together  down  the  sides 
with  silver  buttons.  But  there  were  other  men  in  Eng 
lish  coats  and  trousers,  with  silk  hats  and  Piccadilly  shoes. 
Some  even  twirled  their  canes;  and  walked  in  imitation 
of  English  swells. 

On  the  streets  were  donkeys  piled  high  with  sacks  of 
silver  ore,  or  carrying  great  jars  of  water.  Spirited  horses 
dashed  along  the  streets,  ridden  by  men  who  sat  in  the 
saddles  as  if  they  were  a  part  of  the  animal.  Soldiers 
were  to  be  seen  at  frequent  intervals,  and,  as  in  Mexico, 
the  peon  was  on  every  hand. 

Suddenly  Juan  grasped  Frank's  hand  and  drew  him 
quickly  around  a  corner,  panting : 

"Queek — we  must  run!" 

"Run?    What  for?" 

"One  of  Black  Miguel's  men — Bengo— a  spy,  a  wretch ! 
— have  seen  me !" 

Juan  fled,  and  Frank  followed  till  he  could  overtake  and 
stop  the  frightened  lad. 

"Be  sensible,  Juan.  It  is  not  likely  this  Bengo  recog 
nized  you.  You  are  dressed  now  like  a  native  of  the 
United  States." 

"That  attracts  his  attention !"  palpitated  the  frightened 


^6  Old  Friends  Meet. 

boy.  "He  look-a  at  us  both  sharp-a.  I  be  sure  he  know-a 
me." 

After  some  time  Frank  succeeded  in  calming  Juan,  and 
they  proceeded. 

But  another  adventure  awaited  them  before  they 
reached  the  hotel. 

Juan  sought  secluded  streets  and  dark  ways.  Sud 
denly  they  were  startled  by  the  sound  of  voices  that  came 
from  a  little  group  of  dusky  figures.  One  of  these  figures 
was  standing  with  his  back  against  the  wall  of  a  build 
ing  ;  the  others  surrounded  him  in  a  half  circle.  The  one 
with  his  back  against  the  wall  was  saying : 

"Wall,  gol  ding  your  picters !  I  knowed  you  was  fol- 
lerin'  me  for  something  that  wasn't  no  good.  So  you 
want  my  purse  ?" 

"Si,  senor,"  bowed  one  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader, 
"You  geeve-a  us  dat,  we  do  not  hurt-a  you." 

"Haow  kind!  I  s'pose  yeou  kin  see  this  ere  revolver 
I've  got  ?  Wai,  she's  loaded,  by  gum !  an'  ef  yeou  don't 
git  aout  mighty  dad-bimmed  lively  she'll  commence  to 
shoot,  by  thutter!  an'  I  won't  hold  myself  responsible  ef 
some  of  yeou  fellers  git  hurt,  by  ginger !" 

In  a  moment  Frank  Merriwell  sprang  forward,  shout 
ing: 

"That's  right,  Ephraim !  give  it  to  'em !  I'm  with  you !" 

Smack !  smack ! 

Frank  struck  two  blows,  and  two  of  the  ruffians  went 
down.  The  others  took  to  their  heels  instantly,  and  the 
ones  who  had  been  struck  scrambled  up  and  followed,  all 
quickly  disappearing. 

Then  Frank  turned  to  the  person  who  had  been  trapped 
by  the  band.  Out  went  his  hand,  and  he  cried : 

"Ephraim  Gallup,  of  Vermont!  I'd  quicker  thought 
of  seeing  a  being  from  Mars !" 


Old  Friends  Meet.  17 

The  other,  who  was  a  tall,  lank,  awkward  boy,  some 
what  older  than  Frank,  gasped  and  staggered. 

"Frank  Merriwell!"  'he  roared.  "Frank  Merriwell, 
who  was  at  skule  with  me  at  Fardale !  Jumpin'  jee-whiz ! 
kin  this  ere  be  possible !" 

"I  reckon  it  is,"  laughed  Frank,  as  he  grasped  the  hand 
of  the  Yankee  lad.  "Come,  let's  get  out  of  this;  it's 
dangerous  here.  We'll  find  a  hotel,  and  we  can  explain 
everything  to  each  other's  satisfaction  there." 

Juan  proved  valuable  now,  for  he  conducted  them  to  a 
good  hotel,  at  which  he  did  all  the  business  of  securing  ac 
commodations. 

To  Frank  and  Ephraim  Gallup  the  exterior  of  the  hotel 
did  not  seem  at  all  inviting,  for  it  was  a  one-story  adobe 
building;  but,  once  inside,  they  were  surprised  and  de 
lighted  to  find  a  series  of  courtyards,  or  patios,  ave 
nues  of  trellised  vines,  aviaries,  canalized  water  courses, 
and  other  pleasant  features.  Here  and  there  fountains 
played  and  the  colored  lights  from  swinging  lamps  made 
the  place  seem  like  fairyland  to  the  ship-weary  lads. 

The  boys  ate  supper  in  the  open  air,  near  one  of  the 
tinkling  fountains. 

"Jove!"  exclaimed  Frank.  This  is  great!  Now, 
Ephraim,  old  man,  just  explain  how  it  happens  that  you 
are  here." 

"Whut,  talk  an'  eat  at  ther  same  time!  Hang  me  ef 
I  kin  do  it.  Jest  you  wait  till  I  fill  my  sack  some,  an* 
then  I'll  tell  ye  all  abaout  it." 

So  they  waited,  and,  finally,  when  the  country  boy  had 
satisfied  his  ravenous  appetite  to  a  certain  extent,  he 
teaned  back  in  his  chair  and  asked: 

"Ju  ever  hear  me  speak  uv  my  brother  Hiram,  Frank  ?" 

"I  believe  I  have,"  nodded  Merriwell. 

"Wai,  it's  like  this:  Hi,  he's  a  smart  feller,  and  he 
haow  ter  make  money  an'  keep  it.  When  he  gits 


i8  Old  Friends  Meet 

holt  of  a  silver  dollar  he  squeezes  it  so  hard  it  makes  ther 
eagle  squawk.  All  ther  same,  he  never  wuz  ther  kind  ter 
stay  to  hum  an'  be  satisfied.  He  wuz  alwus  lookin'  out 
fer  ther  best  place  ter  make  a  dollar,  an'  a  friend  of  ourn 
got  him  ter  come  ter  Chili.  Marm,  she  didn't  want  him 
ter  come  'way  aout  here,  but  he  would  do  it,  an'  he  done 
it.  Wai,  he's  bin  luckier  than  a  barrel  uv  apple-sass — 
made  money  hand  over  fist  ever  sense  he's  bin  here,  by 
gum !" 

"And  so  you  thought  you  would  come  here,  eh?" 

"Hi  sent  fer  me — said  as  haow  he'd  put  me  in  ther  way 
of  gittin'  rich.  Marm  she  didn't  want  me  to  come  no 
more'n  she  wanted  Hi  to,  but  dad  he  said  it  wuz  all  fool 
ishness,  an'  I  come." 

"But  you  were  at  school  in  Fardale.  How  did  you 
happen  to  leave  school  ?" 

"Too  much  fol-de-rol  business  there.  Ef  a  feller  didn't 
mind  his  pucker  all  the  time  he  got  the  old  scratch.  I 
couldn't  stand  it,  an'  so  I  jest  got  aout.  Hi  sent  money 
ter  pay  my  passage  daown  here." 

"Where  is  your  brother?" 

"  'Spected  to  meet  him  soon's  I  got  here,  but  business 
tuck  him  orf  inter  the  maountings,  an'  he  left  word  fer 
me  ter  stay  right  here  till  he  got  back." 

"Well,  I  am  more  than  glad  to  see  you  again,  Ephraim ; 
but  I  never  expected  to  meet  you  down  here  in  South 
America." 

"Wai,  you  kin  bet  I  was  glad  to  see  yeou  when  ye  found 
me  standin'  orf  them  fellers  what  wanted  to  rob  me.  An* 
I  never  s'pected  ter  see  yeou  down  here,  though  I  knowed 
ye  was  travelin'  round.  Jest  you  kinder  explain  haow  it 
is  yeou  are  here." 

So  Frank  quickly  explained  how  he  came  to  be  in  Val 
paraiso,  and  Ephraim  listened  with  intense  interest.  The 


Old  Friends  Meet.  19 

tale  of  Juan's  woes  aroused  the  warm-hearted  Yankee  lad, 
and,  at  the  end,  he  asked : 

"Be  yeou  fellers  goin'  right  on  inter  the  maountings  ?" 

"You  bet !"  replied  Frank.  "We  go  on  to-morrow.  No 
time  is  to  be  lost." 

Ephraim  meditated  some  minutes,  and  then  cried: 

"By  gum,  I'm  goin'  with  ye !" 

"What's  that  ?    You  going  ?" 

"That  ere's  jest  what  I  be,  by  jinks!  Hiram  won't  be 
back  here  for  ten  days,  an'  I  might  jest  as  well  be  doin' 
somethin'.  Yeou  may  hev  ter  fight  some,  an'  yeou  know 
I  kin  hold  up  my  end,  by  thutter !" 

"You  are  just  the  fellow  we  want,"  declared  Frank,  with 
satisfaction.  "Juan,  we'll  take  him  into  the  combine. 
This  is  to  be  a  three-cornered  partnership,  and  here's  luck 
to  it" 


CHAPTER  III. 

TRAPPED  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Frank  was  well  pleased  to  have  Ephraim  accompany 
them,  and  the  following  morning  found  the  little  party  on 
the  way  by  rail  to  Santa  Rosa. 

With  the  exception  of  not  having  horses,  they  were 
thoroughly  armed  and  equipped. 

It  made  Frank  feel  quite  at  home  to  find  himself  travel 
ing  on  a  passenger  car  that  had  been  manufactured  in 
Wilmington,  Delaware. 

It  happened  that  on  this  train  there  did  not  seem  to  be 
one  of  the  brigandish  men  with  blue-black  beards,  such 
as  Frank  had  expected  to  see  everywhere  in  Chili. 

The  men  and  women  chatted  with  a  certain  refreshing 
freeness.  Many  of  the  men  were  stylishly  dressed,  and 
many  of  the  women  wore  Parisian  bonnets. 

Frank  was  disappointed.  He  had  expected  to  see  much 
in  the  dress  and  manners  of  the  people  that  was  distinctive 
and  characteristic.  He  expressed  his  disappointment  to 
Juan,  who  said : 

"It  is  in  the  poor  people  you  will  see  what  you  look 
for.  They  wear  the  poncho  and  the  manta.  Rich  people 
they  like  to  do  like  the  English  or  the  French.  They 
seem  'shamed  to  dress  like  the  people  of  the  country 
where  they  do  belong." 

He  then  called  Frank's  attention  to  a  pretty  girl  who 
was  wearing  the  manta.  The  girl  was  sitting  near  an 
open  window,  and  Frank  watched,  her  some  minutes, 
finally  deciding  that  the  manta  was  decidedly  becoming. 
It  is  always  black,  and,  in  this  case,  was  made  of  fine 


Trapped  in  the  Mountains.  21 

material.  The  folds  around  the  face  of  the  girl  were  ar 
ranged  with  a  certain  piquancy,  the  shape  of  the  coiffure 
being  shown,  while  a  fascinating  curl  was  allowed  to  es 
cape,  apparently  by  accident.  The  girl  also  had  a  charm 
ing  way  of  readjusting  the  folds  of  the  shawl,  which  was 
thrown  over  the  left  shoulder. 

When  Frank  had  tired  of  watching  the  girl  he  looked 
out  at  the  landscape,  but  this,  also,  became  tiresome  after 
a  little.  Then  he  turned  to  Juan. 

"We  shall  leave  the  railroad  at  Santa  Rosa?" 

"Si." 

"We  must  obtain  horses  there  ?" 

The  Spanish  lad  nodded. 

"Do  you  think  we'll  be  able  to  get  them  without 
trouble?" 

"If  the  money  be  ready  to  pay." 

"Well,  I  have  enough  for  that.  I  rather  think  I  have 
enough  to  last  till  we  get  back  to  Valparaiso.  Last  night 
I  wrote  a  letter  to  my  guardian,  and  he  will  forward 
funds  as  soon  as  he  receives  it." 

"I  know  a  man  in  Santa  Rosa  who  will  get  us  the 
horses,"  said  Juan.  "He  be  a  friend  of  my  father,  but 
he  keep  it  quiet.  He  is  Don  Honorio  Rosende,  who  have 
made  the  quickest  time  any  one  ever  made  over  the 
mountains  between  Santa  Rosa  and  Mendoza.  He  do  it 
in  thirty-six  hour  and  kill  two  horses.  That  way  he  save 
his  brother  who  was  captured  by  Indians." 

"Well,  we  will  call  on  Don  Honorio." 

"That's  jest  what  we'll  do,  by  gum!  We  want  some 
good  hosses,  too." 

"The  best  we  can  obtain." 

Santa  Rosa  was  reached,  and  the  boys  went  straight  to 
the  Hotel  del  Comercio,  where  they  obtained  accommoda 
tions  and  made  inquiries  concerning  Don  Rosende. 

It  happened  that  the  don  had  been  away  at  Santiago, 


22  Trapped  in  the  Mountains. 

on  business,  but  was  expected  to  return  that  evening.  The 
boys  held  a  consultation,  and  decided  it  was  best  to  wait 
for  his  appearance. 

After  a  swimming  bath  in  the  hotel,  which  delighted 
and  refreshed  the  lads,  they  walked  out  to  view  the  town. 

Santa  Rosa  they  found  surrounded  by  snow-capped 
mountains,  rising  in  blue  mystery  on  every  hand.  To 
the  west  the  main  ridge  of  the  Andes  flung  itself  high  into 
the  sky. 

"Which  way  do  we  go  from  here  ?"  asked  Frank. 

"That  way,"  answered  Juan,  waving  his  hand  toward 
the  northwest. 

"I  be  hanged  ef  I  see  haow  in  thutteration  we're  goin' 
that  air  way,"  said  Ephraim.  "We  can't  git  no  hosses 
that  kin  jump  over  them  hills." 

"We  will  find  a  pass  through  them,"  exclaimed  Juan. 

"Dad  bimmed  ef  I  kin  see  where !" 

"It  be  not  easy  to  see  from  here,  but  I  find  it.  You 
trust  me." 

"All  right,  Juan.  I  ruther  guess  you  know  your  busi 
ness,  an'  we'll  stick  by  yeou  closer  then  flies  stick  ter  ther 
bunghole  uv  a  'larses  barrel." 

Santa  Rosa  proved  to  be  like  nearly  all  Chilian  towns. 
The  streets  were  laid  out  rectangularly,  dividing  the  place 
into  squares  like  a  checkerboard.  With  very  few  excep 
tions,  the  houses  were  one  story  in  height,  built  of  sun- 
dried  bricks,  with  grayish-tiled  roofs,  and  stuccoed  walls, 
colored  rose,  yellow,  blue  and  other  shades. 

The  streets  were  ankle  deep  in  dust.  Open  channels  of 
water  flowed  along  the  sides  of  the  streets.  The  side 
walks  were  paved  with  round  pebbles. 

The  boys  visited  the  plaza,  or  public  square,  where 
there  were  many  benches,  and  where  they  found  a  few  cit 
izens  lingering  in  the  grateful  shadows  of  the  trees. 

In  Santa  Rosa  ponchos  were  plentiful.    The  poncho  is 


Trapped  in  the  Mountains.  23 

a  blanket  with  a  hole  cut  in  the  middle.  The  wearer  slips 
his  head  through  the  hole,  allowing  the  blanket  to  hang 
from  his  shoulders. 

Here  many  of  the  people  wore  wide-brimmed  white 
straw  hats,  held  on  by  black  strings,  tied  beneath  the  chin. 

"Never  saw  folks  dress  in  sech  outrageous  styles,"  de 
clared  Ephraim.  "It  jest  beats  all  natur!" 

It  did  not  take  the  lads  long  to  feel  that  they  had  seen 
all  of  Santa  Rosa  they  desired,  and  Frank  and  Ephraim 
returned  to  the  hotel. 

Juan,  however,  sought  some  of  his  father's  friends 
whom  he  could  trust. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  went  out  into  one  of  the  hotel's 
patios,  where  they  found  two  hammocks  strung  beneath 
an  arbor  of  vines,  and  there  they  remained,  chatting  till 
they  fell  asleep. 

Frank  was  awakened  by  feeling  himself  violently 
shaken  by  Juan. 

"What's  the  matter  ?"  he  asked,  as  he  sat  up. 

"We  must  get  away  from  here  ver'  quick-a!"  panted 
the  Spanish  lad.  "We  must  not  stop-a  here." 

"Jupiter !  you  are  pale,  and  you  seem  all  broken  up. 
Have  you  seen  a  ghost  ?" 

"No ;  but  I  have  seen  something  worse." 

"What?" 

"Bengo." 

"Who  is  Bengo?" 

"He  is  de  vera  bad  cut-a-throat — spy — one  devil !" 

"But  why  should  we  run  away  from  him?  He  is  not 
likely  to  molest  us,  is  he  ?" 

"Si,  Frank." 

"Why  should  he?" 

"He  belong  to  Black  Miguel's  band-a." 

"And  Black  Miguel  is  the  outlaw  you  fear  so  much— 


24  Trapped  in  the  Mountains. 

the  one  who  was  offered  a  pardon  if  he  would  capture 
your  father?" 

"Sit  Frank." 

"Well,  it  is  not  at  all  likely  this  Bengo  knew  you,  Juan." 

"Ah,  he  did!  I  see  it  when  he  look-a  at  me.  I  tell 
you  what  I  t'ink,  Frank." 

"Go  ahead." 

"I  t'ink  he  be  set  to  watch-a  us.  I  t'ink  he  follow  us 
everywhere.  We  not  get  away  from  him  so  easy." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  about  that.  I  am  inclined  to  be 
lieve  you  are  frightened  over  nothing." 

"Wait!"  cried  Juan,  desperately.  "You  see!  You 
find-a  I  know-a  something." 

"Swat  me  ef  I  don't  think  it'd  be  a  good  plan  ter  git 
aout  uv  taown  kinder  lively  an'  quiet  like,"  said  Ephraim, 
who  had  been  listening.  "It  might  be  a  sight  better  fer 
ther  general  state  uv  aour  health." 

So  they  talked  the  matter  over,  and  decided  that,  if  they 
could  obtain  the  horses,  they  would  slip  out  of  Santa 
Rosa  quietly  that  very  night. 

Don  Rosende  returned,  and  they  had  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  three  horses,  for  which  Frank  paid. 

Late  that  evening  they  rode  out  of  Santa  Rosa,  and, 
with  Juan  as  guide,  headed  to  the  northwest. 

For  two  days  they  journeyed  into  the  mountains,  and 
during  all  that  time  Juan  was  certain  they  were  followed. 

At  length  they  found  themselves  in  a  long,  narrow  val 
ley — a  valley  that  was  almost  a  ravine. 

Juan  seemed  to  have  lost  his  bearings  for  the  time, 
and  they  finally  came  to  the  end  of  the  valley,  which 
closed  in  an  impassable  wall  of  bare,  black  rock. 

"It  is  the  blind  valley  of  Cerillos!"  cried  Juan.  "I 
know  where  we  be  now.  We  can  go  no  farther;  we 
must  turn  back." 

Turn  back  they  did,  but,  at  that  very  moment,  far 


Trapped  in  the  Mountains.  25 

down  the  valley,  a  band  of  horsemen  came  into  view,  and 
rode  straight  toward  the  three  lads. 

Wild-looking  ruffians  they  were,  with  bright-colored 
scrapes  and  blue-black  beards.  They  were  armed  with 
rifles,  revolvers,  knives  and  machetes,  on  which  the  sun 
light  glinted,  and  they  set  up  a  wild  cry  as  they  saw 
the  three  boys. 

At  the  head  of  the  band  rode  a  dark-faced,  fierce-look 
ing  man,  mounted  on  a  coal-black  horse. 

"It  is  Black  Miguel  and  his  band-a!"  cried  Juan,  in 
terror.  "I  know  we  be  followed !  They  have  us  in  de 
trap!  They  come  to  kill-a  us!  We  will  all  be  mur- 
dare!" 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THROUGH    THE    GAP. 

The  Chilian  lad  was  so  overcome  with  terror  that  he 
nearly  fell  from  his  horse. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  were  surprised,  but  they  did  not 
become  frightened  and  lose  their  wits. 

"Darn  my  pumpkins,  ef  this  don't  look  like  trouble!" 
drawled  the  Vermonter,  as  he  quickly  unslung  his  rifle 
from  his  back.  "Never  used  this  air  kind  uv  a  gun  much, 
but  I  uster  do  a  darn  good  job  with  dad's  ole  muzzle- 
loadin'  army  musket  when  I  was  to  hum.  Ef  I  kin  git 
onter  ther  way  this  thing  jeogerfies,  I  may  be  able  to  hit 
the  side  uv  a  haouse  or  somethin'." 

"Come  on!"  cried  Frank.  "Remember  the  gap  we 
passed  back  a  short  distance.  We  must  reach  it  ahead 
of  them,  and  ride  into  it." 

"Won't  it  be  a  trap  ?" 

"No  more  than  this  is,  for  we  have  no  shelter  here,  and 
we  are  hemmed  in.  If  we  get  into  the  gap,  those  fellows 
will  have  to  ride  in  after  us  one  at  a  time,  and  we  can 
shoot  them  as  fast  as  they  come." 

"Go  ahead !    We're  with  ye,  by  gum !" 

"Come  on,  Juan !" 

Frank  had  unslung  his  rifle,  and  the  three  lads  now 
charged  straight  toward  the  oncoming  bandits.  Juan 
did  not  urge  his  horse  into  the  charge,  but  the  creature 
kept  with  the  others. 

The  two  American  boys  flourished  their  rifles  above 
their  heads,  uttering  a  great  shout  of  defiance. 


Through  the  Gap.  27 

"Come  on,  you  cutthroats!"  cried  Frank,  defiantly. 
"We'll  make  it  interesting  for  you !" 

"Come  on,  yeou  dirty-mugged  heathens!"  yelled  Eph- 
raim.  "We'll  give  ye  hot-shot  an'  Hail  Columby !  We'll 
give  yer  a  taste  uv  Yankee  lead,  ye  p'izen  snakes !" 

To  the  bandits  it  must  have  seemed  that  the  three  lads 
were  fierce  for  a  fight,  for  the  trio  rode  at  the  outlaws  as 
if  they  were  utterly  reckless  and  devoid  of  fear. 

Black  Miguel  was  seen  to  fling  his  horse  upon  its 
haunches  and  make  a  gesture  that  brought  his  followers 
to  a  halt. 

"They  ain't  goin'  ter  run,  be  they?"  nervously  asked 
Ephraim,  with  a  queer  laugh. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Frank.  "Are  you  afraid 
you  will  not  get  a  crack  at  them  ?" 

"Oh,  that  don't  worry  me  a  great  deal." 

"They  think  we're  going  to  charge  them,  and  so " 

"They're  gittin'  reddy  for  us.     Where  is  that  gap?" 

"Almost  halfway  to  where  they  have  halted.  See  it 
there  on  the  right." 

"It's  a  good  thing  they  stopped." 

"That's  right." 

"Ef  they  hadn't  we  couldn't  got  to  it." 

"No." 

"Naow " 

"Get  ready  to  take  a  flying  shot  at  them  as  we  whirl 
into  the  gap.  You  go  in  first,  and  let  Juan  follow.  I  will 
come  behind,  and  I'll  make  it  hot  for  them  if  they 
crowd  us." 

By  this  time  they  were  close  upon  the  gap  and 
very  near  to  the  bandits.  The  latter  were  waiting,  with 
some  doubt,  for  the  boys  to  get  yet  nearer,  holding  their 
weapons  ready  for  use. 

"Ready !"  cried  Frank. 

The  two  lads  flung  up  their  rifles. 


28  Through  the  Gap. 

"Fire!" 

The  weapons  spoke. 

"Hooray !"  bellowed  Ephraim,  in  delight.  "That  air's 
ther  way  ter  give  'em  hot-shot  an'  Hail  Columby !" 

One  of  the  outlaws  had  flung  up  his  arms  and  pitched 
from  the  saddle  to  the  ground,  while  the  horse  of  another 
had  dropped  instantly. 

For  the  moment  the  bandits  were  flung  into  consterna 
tion. 

"To  the  right!"  cried  Frank,  clearly.  "Here  is  the 
gap!" 

To  the  right  the  lads  wheeled. 

A  yell  came  from  the  lips  of  the  bandits. 

"Ha,  ha!"  laughed  Frank.  "They  have  just  tumbled 
to  the  trick.  Bend  low.  There'll  be  bullets  in  the  air  in 
a  moment." 

Forward  the  boys  bent  upon  the  necks  of  their  horses, 
and  then  a  rattling  volley  of  shots  came  from  the  out 
laws,  while  bullets  whistled  all  about  the  lads. 

"Never  touched  me,  by  gum!"  chuckled  Ephraim, 
who  seemed  to  have  absorbed  some  of  Frank's  reckless 
spirit. 

"Give  it  to  them  once  more !"  panted  Merriwell. 

They  were  close  to  the  gap,  which  seemed  like  a  long, 
narrow  crack  in  the  face  of  the  rocky  wall.  Before 
dashing  into  it,  Frank  and  Ephraim  whirled  and  fired 
again. 

There  was  no  time  to  note  the  effect  of  these  final 
shots,  for  the  horses  required  instant  attention. 

As  they  dashed  into  the  gap,  bullets  were  chipping  off 
bits  of  rock  and  sending  down  pebbles  and  dust  from  the 
face  of  the  wall. 

In  they  went,  one  after  the  other,  and  not  one  of  them 
all  had  been  touched  by  a  bit  of  lead. 

"Well,  that's  dead  lucky!"  exclaimed  Frank,  when  he 


Through  the  Gap.  29 

had  asked  them  if  they  were  hurt,  and  they  had  told  him 
they  were  not.  "Those  fellows  cannot  be  good  marks 
men,  or  they  were  rattled." 

"Shall  I  keep  on  goin'  as  fur  as  I  kin?"  asked  the 
Yankee  boy. 

"Sure ;  keep  right  ahead  till  you  have  to  stop." 

The  gap  was  strewn  with  bowlders,  and  it  zigzagged 
so  they  could  not  ride  swiftly,  but  still  they  made  pretty 
good  time,  dashing  recklessly  along. 

Behind  them  the  bandits  were  uttering  wild  cries,  and 
the  sounds  indicated  the  rascals  were  in  pursuit. 

Frank  wondered  where  the  gap  would  lead,  and  if  it 
would  prove  anything  more  than  a  great  fissure  in  the 
mountainside.  It  wound  on  and  on,  and  it  widened  in 
places,  while  there  were  places  where  it  contracted  till  it 
seemed  that  a  horse  and  rider  could  scarcely  pass  through. 

Still  it  did  not  come  to  an  end. 

Behind  the  fugitive  lads  there  was  a  clattering  sound 
and  the  babel  of  calling  voices,  telling  that  the  bandits 
were  coming  as  swiftly  as  possible. 

Juan  said  nothing.  His  eyes  were  filled  with  a  hunted 
light,  and  he  seemed  quivering  with  terror. 

Ephraim  pressed  straight  onward,  while  Frank  turned 
now  and  then  to  look  back. 

At  one  place,  where  the  gap  was  particularly  narrow, 
Frank  said : 

"Go  on,  boys.     I'll  overtake  you  pretty  soon." 

"What  be  yeou  goin'  ter  do?"  asked  the  Yankee  lad. 

"I  am  going  to  put  a  checker  on  those  fellows.  Go 
ahead." 

Frank  stopped,  holding  his  rifle  ready  for  use,  and 
sitting  sideways  in  the  saddle. 

There  was  a  bend  in  the  walls  of  the  gap  so  he  could 
not  see  the  pursuers  till  they  reached  a  certain  point. 


3o  Through  the  Gap. 

He  could  hear  them  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  and  he 
knew  just  when  they  ought  to  appear. 

The  rifle  rose  and  the  butt  was  pressed  against  his 
shoulder. 

The  nose  and  head  of  a  horse  came  into  view. 

That  was  all  the  boy  wished  to  see. 

The  rifle  spoke,  and  the  horse  fell,  flinging  its  rider 
headlong  against  a  bowlder. 

Swinging  around  in  the  saddle,  Frank  urged  his  horse 
onward  again. 

"That  will  cause  them  to  hold  up  a  little,"  muttered  the 
boy,  with  satisfaction.  s  "It  is  possible  they  may  not  be  so 
fierce  to  follow,  as  the  one  who  was  in  advance  will  not 
know  but  he  is  liable  to  be  shot  at  any  moment." 

Frank  knew  it  was  not  going  to  be  an  easy  thing  to 
give  Black  Miguel  the  slip,  but  he  also  knew  he  need 
look  for  no  mercy  if  he  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
bandit.  It  must  be  a  case  of  struggle  to  the  end  and 
never  surrender. 

It  took  him  some  time  to  come  up  with  Ephraim  and 
Juan.  The  Yankee  boy  gave  a  deep  sigh  of  relief  when 
he  looked  back  and  saw  Frank. 

"Didn't  know,  fer  sure,  that  was  yeou  that  done  ther 
shootin',"  he  said.  "I  was  ruther  afraid  'twas  one  uv 
them  p'izen  skunks  what  is  after  us." 

"No,  I  did  it  myself." 

"Whatdidyeshute?" 

"A  horse." 

"A  hoss?  Why,  that's  a  clean  waste  uv  paowder  and 
lead." 

"Oh,  I  guess  not." 

"Why  didn't  yeou  shute  one  uv  them  land  pirates  ?" 

"I  don't  like  to  shoot  a  man  in  that  way  when  a  horse 
will  do  just  as  well.  I  have  never  found  any  satis- 


Through  the  Gap.  31 

faction  in  shooting  at  human  beings,  although  I  have 
been  forced  to  do  so  several  times  in  my  life." 

"Yeou've  got  a  conscience  as  big  as  a  haouse,  Frank." 

"Well,  there  is  some  satisfaction  in  having  a  con 
science." 

"Them  critters  won't  hesitate  abaout  shootin'  at  us,  an' 
mebbe  ther  very  one  yeou  didn't  shute  will  be  ther  one  to 
shute  yeou." 

"Possibly." 

"Then  I  kinder  guess  you'll  be  sorry  ye  let  him  go." 

"Your  philosophy  is  too  much  for  me,  Ephraim." 

"Wai,  it's  hoss  sense." 

They  rode  onward,  and  the  sounds  of  pursuit  did  not 
press  them  as  closely  as  before,  showing  the  bandits  had 
taken  warning.  The  boys  had  expected  the  gap  to  end 
at  any  moment,  but  it  continued,  and,  finally,  they  came 
out  into  a  beautiful  valley  through  which  ran  a  stream  of 
water.  The  valley  was  surrounded  on  every  hand  by 
towering  mountains. 

"Hurrah !"  cried  Frank,  in  delight.  "We  were  not 
cornered,  after  all !  This  is  what  I  call  great  luck." 

"We  be  not  corner  in  de  gap,"  said  Juan,  wildly,  "but 
we  be  corner  here !" 

"Cornered  here?    What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  dat  zis  is  de  strange  vallee  where  I  heard 
Pepita  ansare  my  call — de  vallee  where  Black  Miguel  cap 
ture  me-a !  We  be  lost-a !" 


CHAPTER  V. 

THINGS    MYSTERIOUS. 

"Lost?  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  Why  should  we 
be  lost  here?  I  should  say  we  have  had  great  luck  in 
finding  this  valley." 

Juan  made  a  gesture  of  despair. 

"But  we  never  find-a  our  way  out !  Black  Miguel  be 
in  de  pass  by  which  we  enter." 

"But  there  must  be  some  other  way  out  of  the  valley." 

"I  t'ink  not.  When  I  come  here  before  I  do  not  know 
how  get  in.  Now  I  remember  I  come  through  dat  gap. 
I  find  no  other  way  out." 

"But  this  stream  runs  through  the  valley.  It  must 
come  in  somewhere  and  go  out  somewhere." 

"That's  right,  by  gum  !"  put  in  the  Vermonter.  "Warter 
kin  run  daown  a  maountain,  but  I  be  busted  ef  I  ever 
saw  any  runnin'  up  hill  yit !" 

"The  way  it  go  out  it  run  under  de  mountain,"  ex 
plained  Jaan. 

"Under  the  mountain?" 

"Si,  Frank." 

"How  can  that  be?" 

"It  run  into  de  tunnel — it  go  under  de  ground." 

"Well,  I  have  seen  a  case  like  that,"  declared  Frank. 
"It  was  in  the  Tennessee  Mountains,  and  the  stream  was 
known  as  Lost  Creek.  It  sank  into  the  earth  and  disap 
peared.  No  one  knew  where  it  came  out." 

"Just  like  a-dis!"  cried  Juan. 

"Wai,  it  may  run  in  all  right,"  said  Ephraim,  hastily. 
"We've  gotter  git  aout  uv  this  mighty  sudden,  an'  I 


Things  Mysterious.  33 

cal'late  it'd  be  a  good  plan  ter  find  haow  this  warter  gits 
inter  the  valley." 

To  this  Frank  agreed,  and  they  rode  up  the  stream. 

Juan  kept  looking  up  at  the  high  walls,  and  he  finally 
uttered  a  cry,  pointing  to  the  black  face  of  a  steep  bluff. 

"Dere,"  he  cried — "dere  is  where  I  see  de  black  hole  in 
de  rock  when  I  hear  my  sistare  call  to  me !" 

The  boys  looked  with  interest,  but  the  face  of  the  bluff, 
seemed  unbroken,  and  Frank  said: 

"You  must  be  mistaken,  Juan,  for  there  is  no  hole  there 
now." 

"I  see  dat  hole,  den  I  see  it  no  more.  I  am  not  mis 
take,  Frank.  Dat  is  de  place.  I  tell  you  de  hole  it  dis- 
appear-a." 

"I  ruther  guess  yeou  was  twisted,  Juan,"  drawled 
Ephraim.  "Yeou  thought  you  saw  the  hole." 

"I  no  make  a  mistake — no,  no !  I  tell  you  I  hear  Pepita 
ansare  me  when  I  call  to  her — I  know  I  hear  it." 

"Yeou  hed  bin  wanderin'  raound  in  the  maountains,  an* 
yeou  was  half  crazy.  You  thought  yeou  heard  her." 

"No,  no,  no !     I  know  !     I  know !" 

"There  is  no  time  to  discuss  that,"  cut  in  Frank.  "If 

those  bandits  follow  us  closely  they  will There  they 

come." 

Hoarse  shouts  were  heard  behind  them,  and,  looking 
back,  they  saw  the  bandits  riding  out  into  the  valley. 
The  ruffians  saw  the  three  lads,  and  the  shouts  they  ut 
tered  were  cries  of  triumph. 

"I  don't  like  the  sound,"  declared  Frank.  "If  they 
did  not  feel  sure  of  bagging  us  they  would  not  yell  like 
that." 

"Wai,  they'll  have  ter  fight  like  thunder  before  they  bag 
us,  by  thutteration !"  spluttered  the  boy  from  Vermont. 

"We  nevar  get  out,"  declared  Juan,  in  a  disheartened 
way. 


34  Things  Mysterious. 

The  boys  rode  onward,  but  the  bandits  made  no  imme 
diate  effort  to  follow  them,  which  caused  Frank  still 
greater  uneasiness. 

"That  shows,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  they  feel  sure  they 
have  us,"  he  said. 

They  rode  up  the  valley  for  nearly  half  a  mile,  and  then 
came  in  sight  of  a  waterfall.  Beyond  the  waterfall  the 
stream  seemed  to  pour  out  of  the  side  of  a  mighty  moun 
tain. 

The  boys  halted  in  dismay. 

'That  settles  one  thing,"  said  Frank.  "We'll  not  be 
able  to  get  out  of  this  valley  in  this  direction.  See;  it 
closes  in  there,  and  there  is  no  outlet.  No  wonder  the 
bandits  were  in  no  hurry  to  follow  us." 

"I  tell-a  you  dat !"  cried  Juan.     "We  be  in  de  trap !" 

Ephraim  ground  his  teeth. 

"Air  we  goin'  ter  be  cooped  up  like  a  lot  uv  chickens ! 
Let's  go  back  and  fight  aour  way  right  out  through  them 
bandits." 

"That  is  a  trick  we  cannot  accomplish  just  now,"  said 
Frank.  "They  will  be  looking  for  us  to  come  hustling 
back,  as  soon  as  we  find  this  end  of  the  valley  is  closed." 

"Wai,  what  be  we  goin'  to  do?" 

Frank  looked  the  situation  over  and  considered,  his 
face  very  grave  and  thoughtful.  Near  the  waterfall  a 
mass  of  bowlders  were  piled,  and  he  regarded  them  with 
a  critical  eye. 

"Let's  go  nearer  and  look  them  over,"  he  said. 

"What  for?"  asked  Ephraim. 

"To  see  what  sort  of  a  fort  they  will  make.  We  may 
have  to  get  into  some  situation  where  we  can  hold  off 
Black  Miguel  and  his  band." 

So  they  rode  nearer,  and  it  was  seen  that  the  rocks 
would  afford  them  shelter  if  they  were  obliged  to  defend 
themselves  from  the  outlaws. 


Things  Mysterious.  35 

"We  will  stop  right  here,"  declared  Frank.  "It  is  best 
to  do  the  thing  those  bandits  will  not  expect  us  to  do, 
and  they'll  be  looking  for  us  to  come  back.  Ten  to  one 
.we'd  be  ambushed  and  shot  down  like  dogs  if  we  did  so." 

So  they  dismounted  and  led  their  horses  behind  a  mass 
of  bowlders,  where  they  would  be  well  sheltered  in  case 
bullets  flew  thickly. 

Frank  looked  the  mass  over,  and  he  quickly  saw  ho\\ 
strong  a  fort  could  be  made. 

"Take  hold,  boys,"  he  directed.  "We  must  roll  a  wall 
of  stones  together  here.  Then  let  Black  Miguel  come 
on." 

They  worked  like  beavers,  for  they  did  not  know  how 
soon  the  outlaws  would  come  upon  them.  In  the  course 
of  an  hour  they  had  a  wall  erected,  and  they  were  ready 
for  the  assault. 

By  this  time  they  were  all  hungry,  and  they  decided  to 
eat  from  the  provisions  obtained  at  their  last  stopping 
place.  This  supply  was  small,  for  Juan  had  expected 
to  obtain  food  from  the  peons  who  lived  amid  the  moun 
tains. 

"We'll  have  to  go  easy  with  the  rations  to-night,"  said 
Frank.  "It  will  be  better  to  keep  some  for  to-morrow." 

"An'  haow  be  we  goin'  ter  git  aour  next  supply  ?"  asked 
Ephraim. 

"Just  now  that  is  an  unanswerable  question." 

While  they  were  eating  all  were  startled  by  a  heavy 
rumbling  explosion  that  seemed  to  be  somewhere  under 
ground.     They  looked  at  each  other  in  a  bewildered  man 
ner,  their  eyes  full  of  questioning. 

"What  in  thutteration  do  yeou  think  that  was,  Frank  ?" 
spluttered  the  boy  from  Vermont. 

"It  was  not  an  earthquake." 

"Wai,  not  by  a  jugful !" 

"It  sounded  like  a  blast !" 


36  Things  Mysterious. 

"It  surely  did,  by  gum !" 

Then  Juan  was  appealed  to,  but  he  was  as  much  puz 
zled  as  the  others. 

"I  cannot  tell,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head.  'This  val- 
ke  is  one  place  of  mystery.  That  is  one  of  them." 

The  boys  began  to  feel  that  there  was,  in  truth,  some 
thing  uncanny  about  the  valley.  Even  the  mountains, 
which  towered  grim  and  ominous  on  every  hand,  seemed 
to  shut  the  place  in  like  mighty  sentinels,  as  if  the  spot 
were  forbidden  to  man. 

The  sun  dropped  down  into  the  west,  and  shadows  be 
gan  to  deepen  in  the  gulches  and  ravines.  With  the  grow 
ing  shadows,  the  uneasiness  of  the  boys  increased.  Al 
though  he  would  not  confess  it  to  himself,  Frank  disliked 
to  spend  a  night  there. 

"Squash  me!"  Ephraim  Gallup  finally  observed,  un 
steadily.  "I  feel  jest  the  same's  I  did  one  time,  when  I 
went,  with  some  other  fellers,  to  stay  in  Jed  Spruce's 
ha'nted  haouse.  I  was'kainder  creepy  all  over  my  meat, 
an'  I'm  that  air  way  naow." 

"It  would  be  a  relief  if  the  bandits  made  an  attack  on 
us,"  said  Frank. 

"They  do  that  after  dark,"  Juan  said. 

"An'  there  won't  be  a  bit  uv  a  moon,  will  they  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,  there  will  be  a  faded  old  moon  in  the  west 
the  first  of  the  night,  but  it  may  not  shed  much  light  into 
this  valley.  The  last  part  of  the  night  will  be  moonless." 

"That's  when  they'll  come  fer  sure." 

"We  will  make  it  hot  for  them,  whenever  they  come." 

About  an  hour  later  they  heard  the  underground  ex 
plosion  once  more,  and  this  time  it  seemed  louder  and 
more  distinct  than  before.  They  were  upon  a  ledge,  and 
this  was  distinctly  felt  to  jar. 

"Next  time  she  may  be  hard  enough  to  knock  a  cor- 


Things  Mysterious.  37 

ner  off  one  of  these  air  maountains !"  whispered  Ephrainv 
in  an  awe-stricken  way. 

"I  wonder  if  that  can  be  anything  the  bandits  are 
doing?"  speculated  Frank.  "It  can't  be  they  are  blow 
ing  down  the  walls  and  blockading  the  gap  ?" 

After  talking  this  over,  it  was  decided  that  such  a 
thing  was  not  at  all  likely,  but  they  arrived  at  no  decided 
opinion  concerning  the  explosions. 

Night  came  on.  The  sun  faded  from  the  snowy  peaks, 
and  the  darkness  spread  and  deepened.  Stars  came  out 
one  by  one,  and  the  ghost  of  a  moon  seemed  to  rest  in 
the  hollow  between  two  mountains. 

During  a  part  of  the  afternoon  the  horses  had  been 
picketed  where  they  could  feed  on  the  grass,  but  they  were 
again  brought  behind  the  barrier  of  rocks. 

The  boys  huddled  together,  and  talked  in  whispers. 

Suddenly,  cutting  through  the  night  like  a  keen  blade, 
came  a  wild  cry,  chilling  the  blood.  It  was  full  of  unut 
terable  despair,  and  it  seemed  to  issue  from  the  lips  of  a 
human  being. 

That  cry  caused  the  boys  to  shudder  and  huddle  closer 
behind  the  rocks. 

The  waterfall  splashed  in  the  wan  moonlight.  Some 
thing  caused  them  all  to  look  at  it  at  once. 

Out  from  the  falling  water  a  horse  and  rider  seemed  to 
leap.  The  horse  was  coal  black,  and  the  rider  was  cov 
ered  with  something  that  glistened  darkly  in  the  moon 
light. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  STRUGGLE  OF  PHANTOMS. 

Three  astounded  boys  crouched  behind  the  rocks  and 
stared  at  the  horse  and  rider.  The  trio  seemed  stricken 
dumb  and  motionless  with  amazement. 

Not  a  moment  did  the  strange  horseman  stop,  but 
straight  down  the  stream  he  went. 

Juan  muttered  a  prayer  in  Spanish,  crossing  himself. 

"Wai,  ef  that  don't  beat  all  creation !"  gurgled  Ephraim 
Gallup,  as  soon  as  he  could  get  his  breath.  "Where  in 
thutteration  did  they  come  frum?" 

Frank  was  silent,  being  not  a  little  puzzled. 

The  horseman  seemed  utterly  indifferent  to  the  pres 
ence  of  the  boys,  or  quite  unaware  that  they  were  there. 
Away  he  rode,  without  being  challenged.  The  horse 
scrambled  from  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and  the  clickety- 
click  of  its  hoofs  grew  fainter  and  fainter  as  it  went  gal 
loping  down  the  valley. 

"What  do  yeou  think  uv  that,  Frank?"  Ephraim  de 
manded. 

"I  think  it  was  a  horse  and  rider,"  said  Frank. 

"A  spirit!"  whispered  Juan. 

"Git  aout  with  yer  nonsense!"  exclaimed  the  Ver- 
monter,  promptly.  "I  don't  take  no  stock  in  that  air, 
yeou  bet!" 

"There  was  nothing  supernatural  about  the  horse  and 
rider,"  Merriwell  quietly  declared.  "They  were  flesh  and 
blood." 

"Ah,  Frank,"  sighed  Juan;  "how  do  you  explain  de 
they  come— out  of  de  water  ?" 


The  Struggle  of  Phantoms.  39 

"I  am  not  going  to  try  to  explain  it;  but  I  believe  it 
was  a  trick  to  frighten  us.  The  outlaws  are  trying  to 
break  our  nerve,  so  they  will  have  an  easy  time  when 
they  come  in  on  us." 

"Hang  'em!"  grated  Ephraim.  "I  don't  like  this  air 
monkey  business,  but  they'll  have  hard  work  ter  scarf 
me  so  I  can't  shute." 

"That's  right,"  nodded  Frank,  the  dim  light  failing  tc 
show  the  expression  of  satisfaction  on  his  face;  "keep 
your  nerve,  old  man,  and  we'll  make  them  fight  if  they 
get  the  best  of  us." 

"But  we  are  in  de  trap-a!"  cried  Juan,  despairingly. 
"You  do  not  know-a  Black  Miguel !  He  nevare  let  any 
one  get  out  de  trap.  He  keel-a  for  de  fun.  He  like  to 
see  de  blood  run-a — like  to  hear  de  victim  cry  for  pain !" 

"Evidently  he  is  an  inhuman  monster,"  came  quietly 
from  the  lips  of  Frank  Merriwell.  "That  is  all  the  more 
reason  why  we  should  die  fighting.  It  is  not  healthy  to 
fall  into  his  hands." 

"Oh,  my  poor  sistare !"  sobbed  the  Chilian  boy.  "She 
nevare  be  save !  Poor  Pepita !" 

Then  he  fell  to  repeating  a  prayer  once  more. 

Frank  was  surprised  at  Juan's  lack  of  nerve.  The  boy 
had  seemed  timid  in  the  first  place,  but  he  had  thought  he 
would  show  more  nerve  when  Chili  was  reached  and  he 
found  himself  in  his  own  country. 

However,  on  considering  the  condition  under  which 
Juan  had  lived — on  remembering  that  his  father  had  been 
a  hunted  fugitive — Frank  did  not  wonder  so  much  that 
the  dark-faced  lad  was  not  very  brave. 

"Perhaps  he  will  show  up  all  right  in  a  pinch,"  thought 
Frank,  who  was  inclined  to  be  liberal  minded. 

For  a  long  time  they  sat  and  talked  of  the  surprising 
appearance  of  the  horse  and  rider.  It  was  plain  to  all 
that  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the  rider  had  been  coy- 


40  The  Struggle  of  Phantoms. 

ered  by  the  protecting  folds  of  something,  on  which  the 
thin  moonlight  made  the  water  glisten. 

"He  came  aout  uv  the  waiter,"  muttered  Ephraim ;  "but 
haow  in  thutteration  did  he  git  into  it  ?" 

That  was  a  question  difficult  to  answer. 

The  early  night  wore  on,  and  the  shadowy  moon 
dropped  lower  and  lower  into  the  hollow  between  the  two 
mountain  peaks. 

The  boys  spoke  of  the  wild,  wailing  cry  they  had  heard, 
and  wondered  if  it  would  be  repeated.  They  were  listen 
ing  for  it  when  it  came. 

The  moon  had  gone,  and  darkness  was  heavy  in  the 
valley.  The  cry  seemed  to  float  along  on  the  heavy  air, 
and  it  was  expressive  of  the  most  unutterable  agony. 

Then  two  fiery  figures  were  seen  racing  along  the  black 
wall  to  the  south,  swiftly  coming  nearer  the  head  of  the 
valley,  and  changing  in  shape  as  they  came. 

"Santa  Maria!"  gasped  Juan,  and  he  covered  his  eyes 
with  his  hands. 

"What  is  it  ?"  asked  the  Vermonter,  in  wonder. 

"Look !"  directed  Frank.  "They  have  stopped.  Well, 
this  is  a  free  show,  and  no  mistake." 

On  the  smooth  face  of  the  precipice  two  figures  had 
halted.  One  was  a  grinning  skeleton,  every  bone  of 
which  seemed  composed  of  white  fire;  the  other  was  a 
scarlet  demon,  armed  with  a  flaming  sword.  The  demon 
had  been  pursuing  the  skeleton,  but  now  the  latter,  seem 
ingly  driven  to  bay,  faced  about  to  give  battle. 

"Say,  I  want  to  go  right  back  to  Vermont !"  groaned 
Ephraim  Gallup,  his  teeth  chattering.  "I  can't  stan'  this ! 
It's  too  much,  by  thutter !" 

Then,  before  the  eyes  of  the  boys,  a  brief  but  savage 
battle  took  place.  The  skeleton  grasped  the  demon  by 
the  throat,  but  was  cast  off,  and  the  demon  plunged  its 


me  Struggle  of  Phantoms.  41 

sword  through  bet.ween  the  skeleton's  ribs,  which  did  not 
seem  to  harm  the  skeleton  in  the  least. 

Ephraim  began  to  forget  his  fears,  and  grew  excited. 

"Say,  which  way  ye  bettin',  Frank  ?"  he  demanded.  "I'll 
go  ye  that  ther  skeleton  knocks  the  Old  Boy  out  in  two 
rounds !" 

"I'll  stand  you  on  that,"  said  Frank.  "The  demon  is 
bound  to  do  execution  with  that  sword." 

"Oh,  that  don't  caount,  for  the  skeleton  ain't  got  no 
flesh  nor  blood.  He  don't  mind  it  to  have  the  sword 
poked  through  him  a  few  dozen  times." 

"Well,  he  doesn't  seem  to  mind  it,"  confessed  Frank, 
as  the  demon  jabbed  the  skeleton  several  times. 

Juan,  hearing  their  voices,  lowered  his  hands,  took  a 
look  at  the  awe-inspiring  battle,  then  covered  his  eyes 
with  his  hands  again  and  resumed  praying. 

"Oh,  shut  up  with  yer  jabberin',"  cried  the  Yankee  lad. 
"Git  inter  ther  game  here,  an'  back  yer  man !" 

"The  saints  preserv-a  us !"  palpitated  Juan,  in  English. 

"We'll  hev  ter  do  a  little  preservin'  aourselves,  ur  they 
won't  stan'  by  us,"  snorted  Ephraim,  in  disgust. 

Now  the  battle  between  the  two  glowing  figures  be 
came  terrific.  The  demon  flung  aside  its  sword,  and  they 
grappled.  Once,  twice,  three  times  the  skeleton  was 
dashed  to  the  ground.  When  it  arose  the  third  time  it 
was  seen  that  its  left  arm  had  been  broken  off  at  the 
shoulder. 

Still  the  battle  raged  with  unabated  fierceness,  for  the 
skeleton  seemed  infuriated  beyond  measure  by  its  injury. 
It  hurled  itself  at  the  crimson  demon,  which  it  caught 
with  its  remaining  hand  and  tried  to  strangle. 

The  demon  writhed  and  twisted  in  its  efforts  to  fling  off 
its  relentless  antagonist.  Sometimes  both  bent  close  to 
the  ground,  and  then  they  straightened  up.  At  length 


42  The  Struggle  of  Phantoms. 

the  skeleton  was  dashed  down  again,  and  when  it  got  up 
one  leg  had  fallen  off  at  the  knee. 

"Naow  I  guess  he's  aout  uv  the  ring  fer  sure,"  said 
Ephraim,  regretfully. 

But,  no!  the  skeleton  hopped  around  on  one  foot  as 
lively  as  a  sparrow.  It  flung  itself  on  the  demon,  who 
seemed  enraged  beyond  measure  by  the  persistency  of  its 
fleshless  antagonist. 

The  battle  ended  in  a  tempestuous  struggle,  and  the 
demon  actually  tore  the  skeleton  to  pieces,  flung  it,  a 
shattered  mass,  to  the  ground,  and  then,  in  an  instant, 
skeleton  and  demon  vanished. 

"Great  yowling  cats !"  palpitated  the  Yankee  boy. 
"That  was  the  wust  scrap  I  ever  see !" 

Frank  laughed. 

"Our  friends,  the  enemy,  seem  to  be  doing  everything 
possible  to  make  it  pleasant  for  us  while  we  remain  here." 

"What  do  yeou  think,  Frank — haow  was  that  done?" 

"They  were  spirits!"  hissed  Juan.  "Don't  arouse  the 
anger  of  de  spirits !" 

"Don't " 

"No!  Mebbe  Black  Miguel  he  be  scared  away.  If 
so,  then  we  git  out — perhap'." 

"I  scarcely  think  Black  Miguel  will  be  frightened  away 
so  easily ;  I  don't  fancy  he  has  been  alarmed  by  anything 
that  has  happened." 

For  the  third  time  the  wild,  wailing  cry  sounded  in  the 
valley,  dying  out  into  a  faint  moan  that  was  nerve  shak 
ing. 

"I  don't  understand  how  such  a  yell  as  that  can  come 
from  human  lips,  yet  it  seems  like  a  human  cry,"  said 
Frank. 

"It  is  a  cry  from  a  lost  soul !"  whispered  the  Chilian 
boy. 


The  Struggle  of  Phantoms.  43 

"Nonsense!  I  don't  take  stock  in  that.  You  need  a 
tonic,  Juan ;  your  blood  is  in  a  bad  condition." 

"Ah,  Frank,  I  know-a — I  know-a !" 

"If  you  think  you  do  it  is  useless  to  argue  with  you." 

"No  use  to  talk-a." 

"Then  I  will  not  try  it." 

"But  yeou  have  got  to  acknowledge  there  has  bin  some 
queer  things  took  place  sence  we  come  here,"  said  Eph- 
raim. 

"Some  things  rather  surprising,  but  nothing  super 
natural." 

"That's  your  idea,  hey?" 

"Yes." 

"What  abaout  the  hoss  an'  feller  that  came  aout  of  the 
waterfall  ?" 

"Surely  there  was  nothing  supernatural  about  that.  It 
was  a  trick,  and  that  is  all.  It  was  done  to  frighten  us 
and  shake  our  nerve,  as  these  other  things  have  been 
done.  When  the  bandits  are  satisfied  that  we  are  over 
come  with  terror,  they  will  come  down  on  us  with  a  rush. 
We  must  keep  our  nerve  about  us,  or  we'll  all  be  killed 
without  striking  a  blow  in  our  own  defense." 

"By  gum,  yeou're  right !  But  I'd  kinder  like  to  know 
what  them  critters  will  do  next." 

Barely  had  the  words  fallen  from  Ephraim's  lips  when 
a  flash  of  light  came  down  over  the  waterfall,  and  a  flare 
of  fire  ran  along  the  bosom  of  the  stream  that  flowed 
through  the  valley,  so  the  stream  itself  seemed  to  be  a 
river  of  fire ! 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A    SHOT    IN    THE   DARK. 

"Santa  Maria !" 

"Great  Scott!" 

"Darn  my  punkins !" 

Juan,  Frank  and  Ephraim  uttered  these  exclamations 
in  turn,  as  they  crouched  behind  the  rocks  and  stared  in 
amazement  at  the  river  of  fire. 

The  entire  surface  of  the  stream  seemed  blazing,  and 
the  light  illumined  the  valley. 

It  was  a  remarkable  spectacle,  and  one  well  calculated 
to  paralyze  the  lads  with  astonishment  and  fear. 

The  light  showed  the  black  rocks,  the  jagged  walls,  the 
frowning  precipices,  but  revealed  no  living  being  to  the 
boys  behind  the  rocks. 

"This  is  rather  remarkable,  I  must  confess !"  said 
Frank,  staring  wonderingly  at  the  fiery  stream. 

"Darned  ef  I  ever  saw  warter  burn  like  that  air  be 
fore  !"  spluttered  the  Vermont  lad. 

"It  is  de  end  of  de  world-a !"  moaned  Juan. 

"Dunno  but  it  is,"  nodded  Ephraim.  "When  warter 
gits  ter  burnin',  other  things  oughter  ketch  purty  soon!" 

"What's  this  smell  in  the  air?"  asked  Frank. 

"Dunno.     What  is  it  ?" 

"It  seems  like  burning  oil." 

"So  it  does.  Mebbe  that  river  runs  aout  uv  an  oil 
factory  somewhere." 

"The  fire  is  sinking  already." 

This  was  true.  Near  the  waterfall  it  was  dying  out 
and  floating  away  on  the  bosom  of  the  stream,  although 


A  Shot  in  the  Dark.  45 

it  seemed  to  burn  as  brightly  as  ever,  further  down  the 
valley. 

Little  patches  of  fire  drifted  swiftly  down  the  stream 
and  burned  themselves  out  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
Soon  there  was  no  fire  in  the  vicinity  of  the  waterfall,  and 
in  a  very  few  minutes  there  was  none  anywhere  along 
the  stream. 

Darkness  lay  dense  and  awesome  in  the  uncanny  val 
ley. 

Now  the  boys  noticed  that  the  horses  were  snorting  and 
rearing,  apparently  greatly  terrified  by  what  had  taken 
place  and  by  their  own  struggles. 

"They're  liable  to  break  away!"  exclaimed  Frank, 
springing  up.  "We  must  look  out  for  that." 

"That's  so,  by  gum !"  cried  Ephraim. 

Together  they  hastened  toward  the  horses.  This  was 
an  unfortunate  move,  for,  suddenly  appearing  as  they  did 
in  the  darkness,  they  completed  the  work  of  rendering  the 
animals  frantic. 

"Whoa!  Easy  there!"  called  Frank,  hoping  to  reas 
sure  the  creatures  with  his  voice. 

The  horses  were  making  too  much  noise  to  hear  him. 
They  reared  and  plunged,  and  one  of  them  broke  away. 

Despite  the  fact  that  he  was  rather  awkward  in  ap 
pearance,  Ephraim  was  strong  and  quick.  Happening  to 
be  near  the  horse  that  freed  itself,  the  Vermonter  leaped 
through  the  air  and  caught  at  the  bit  of  broken  rope. 

By  the  rarest  chance,  Ephraim  grasped  the  rope  close 
to  the  horse's  head.  Then,  with  a  leap  and  a  swing,  he 
landed  on  the  animal's  back. 

"Whoa!"  he  cried,  triumphantly.  "Think  ye  kin  git 
erway  frum  Ephraim  Gallup?  Ef  ye  do,  yeou'll  make 
ther  biggest  mistake  uv  yeour  life,  by  thutter !" 

The  horse  continued  to  rear  and  plunge  while  Ephraim 


46  A  Shot  in  the  Dark. 

was  speaking,  and  then,  all  at  once,  the  creature  seemed 
to  realize  that  it  was  no  longer  held  by  the  rope. 

A  wild  squeal  came  from  the  animal's  lips,  and  away  JA 
shot  down  the  valley,  bearing  the  boy  on  its  back. 

"Stop !"  shouted  Frank.    "Come  back !" 

"Can't!"  was  the  reply.     "This  hoss  is " 

That  was  all  Frank  could  understand,  for  the  horse  con 
tinued  to  tear  down  the  valley,  bearing  the  Yankee  lad 
along. 

Frank  did  his  best  to  quiet  the  other  animals,  and  he 
succeeded  in  a  few  moments. 

Before  he  had  quieted  them  to  his  satisfaction,  he 
heard  a  series  of  wild  yells  far  down  the  valley,  followed 
by  three  or  four  shots,  and  still  further  yelling. 

"Hard  luck!"  muttered  Merriwell,  bitterly.  "Ten  to 
one  Eph  has  run  plumb  upon  the  bandits,  and  has  been 
killed  or  captured.  Now  fate  seems  dead  against  us." 

The  yelling  died  out,  but  the  final  cries  were  full  ef 
triumph,  and  Frank's  heart  was  heavy  in  his  bosom. 
Having  pacified  the  horses,  he  returned  to  the  place 
where  Juan  crouched  and  shivered. 

"We  be  lost,  lost !"  murmured  Juan. 

Frank  said  nothing,  for  he  was  trying  to  think  what 
should  be  done  in  this  emergency.  He  had  not  given  up 
hope,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  possible  Ephraim  had  es 
caped,  but  his  sober  judgment  told  him  the  situation  was 
one  of  deadly  peril,  where  there  did  not  seem  one  chance 
in  a  thousand  that  one  of  the  three  lads  would  ever  leave 
that  fateful  valley  alive. 

Frank  was  much  disappointed  in  Juan,  for  he  had 
fancied  the  boy  who  was  seeking  to  find  his  lost  sister 
and  rescue  her,  would  be  brave  and  daring.  Now  he  did 
not  depend  on  the  Chilian  boy  in  the  least,  and  he  felt 
that  Juan  was  an  incumbrance. 

But  he  could  not  rest  without  knowing  what  had  hap- 


A  Shot  in  the  Dark.  47 

pened  to  Ephraim,  so  he  determined  to  creep  down  the 
valley.  The  outlaws  were  down  there,  and  he  might  get 
near  enough  to  them  to  find  out  something. 

He  had  turned  to  tell  Juan  what  move  he  thought 
of  making  when  he  was  surprised  and  startled  to  hear 
a  galloping  horse  approaching. 

"Dey  coming !"  palpitated  the  Chilian  lad.  "Dey  com- 
ing  now  to  kill-a  us !" 

"Well,  we  will  make  it  a  very  interesting  job  for  them !" 
grated  Frank,  swinging  his  rifle  around  ready  for  use. 
"I'll  wager  something  I  perforate  a  few  of  the  villains !" 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  galloping  horse. 

"There  can  be  but  one,"  muttered  Frank.  "I  wonder 
who  that  is,  and  what  he  wants  ?" 

Then  his  heart  gave  a  great  leap  of  hope/ 

"It  may  be  Ephraim!"  he  gasped.  "If  it  should 
be " 

He  stopped  short,  for  the  horse  had  ceased  to  gallop. 
The  animal  was  coming  forward  at  a  walk,  and  was  now 
quite  near. 

"Halt,  there !" 

The  ringing  command  came  from  Frank  Merriwell's 
lips,  and  it  was  emphasized  by  a  double  click,  as  he  cocked 
his  rifle. 

The  horse  stopped. 

"Young  senor,  I  wish  to  speak  with  you." 

The  words,  uttered  in  a  smooth,  musical  voice,  came 
through  the  darkness,  and  they  seemed  like  an  electric 
shock  to  Juan,  who  started  up  with  a  smothered  cry. 

Frank  was  a  little  surprised,  but  he  immediately  asked : 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  wish  to  speak  with  me?" 

"Si,  senor;  you  are  the  one." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"That  can  make  no  difference  to  you.  At  this  time  I 
propose  to  be  your  friend,  if  you  will  let  me." 


48  A  Shot  in  the  Dark. 

"My  friend?    Impossible!" 

"Not  so,  young  senor.  If  you  will  let  me  be  your 
friend,  that  I  will." 

Through  Frank's  head  flashed  the  thought  that  this 
was  a  trick,  and  he  was  wary.  To  his  surprise,  Juan 
was  kneeling  at  his  side,  fingering  a  rifle,  and  breathing 
heavily.  The  Chilian  seemed  overcome  with  a  desire  to 
do  some  shooting. 

"Steady!"  whispered  Frank.  "Don't  be  in  a  hurry. 
Watch  out  that  we  are  not  taken  by  surprise  while  I 
talk  with  that  man." 

"That  man!"  fluttered  Juan.  "Oh,  if  I  could  see-a 
heem!" 

"I  cannot  understand  why  you  should  offer  friend 
ship,"  Frank  called  to  the  unseen  man.  "We  have  no 
friends  here." 

"And  you  should  have  no  enemies  here,  young  senor. 
It  is  the  fault  of  your  own  that  you  come  into  this  trap, 
from  which  you  can  never  get  away  without  I  help  you." 

"Why  should  you  help  me?" 

"Because  I  do  no  wish  to  see  you  killed.  You  do 
not  belong  in  Chili,  and  you  do  come  here  on  a  foolish 
expedition.  I  know  all  about  that.  Now  you  yourself 
do  find  in  a  bad  trap.  Black  Miguel  have  you  very  fast, 
and  it  is  the  wish  of  him  to  kill  you  quick  and  soon. 
I  have  induced  him  to  hold  still  for  a  little  time." 

Frank  was  doubtful;  he  could  not  believe  the  man 
was  speaking  the  truth.  Behind  all  this  he  felt  sure  there 
was  a  plot  to  deceive  them. 

"Why  should  you  induce  him  to  hold  on?" 

"Why  should  I  wish  that  you  are  killed?  You  have 
never  harmed  me  in  some  way,  and  against  you  I  have 
not  one  thing  at  all.  With  Black  Miguel  I  have  some 
influence,  and  I  can  get  him  to  let  you  go  away  without 
trouble.  I  will  do  it  on  a  certain  condition." 


A  Shot  in  the  Dark.  49 

"Now  comes  the  trap!"  thought  Frank;  and  then  he 
asked  to  know  the  "certain  condition." 

After  a  moment  of  hesitation,  the  unseen  man  said : 

"With  you  you  have  a  boy,  Juan  Matias  by  name." 

"Well?" 

"You  have  him?" 

"Yes." 

"There  were  three  of  you,  but  one  of  you  he  has  become 
a  captive  to  Black  Miguel." 

Frank's  heart  leaped  and  swelled  with  a  feeling  of  re 
lief.  So  Ephraim  still  lived. 

"The  loss  of  him  leaves  you  very  weak,"  the  man  went 
on.  "You  are  but  two  to  many.  You  have  no  chance 
to  escape.  If  my  offer  you  do  not  except,  you  will  all 
be  killed." 

"Make  your  offer." 

"It  is  this:  Your  friend  who  was  with  you  is  not 
harmed;  but  he  will  be  killed  right  away  if  you  do  not 
accept  the  terms,  which  are  that  Juan  Matias  you  shall 
give  up  to  Black  Miguel.  If  Juan  you  give  up,  the  one 
who  is  captured  shall  be  set  at  freedom,  and  away  you 
may  go  without  being  at  all  hurt.  Remember,  that  it  will 
cost  at  once  the  life  of  him  who  is  captured  if  Juan 
Matias  you  do  not  give  up.  What  do  you  answer  ?" 

Then,  to  Frank's  astonishment,  Juan  screamed: 

"I  ansare  dat  you  be  de  human  monster!  You  be  de 
one  dat  kill-a  my  fadare — steal-a  my  sistare !  You  be  de 
Marques  de  la  Villa  del  Villar  de  la  Aguila!  May  de 
saints  direct  dis  bullet !" 

There  was  a  flash  of  fire,  followed  by  a  ringing  report, 
and  Frank  knew  the  Chilian  boy  had  discharged  his  rifle. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TO    THE    RESCUE. 

This  action  on  the  part  of  Juan  had  been  quite  unex 
pected  by  Frank  Merriwell,  so  he  was  unable  to  prevent 
it.  The  moment  it  happened,  however,  he  clutched  the 
boy,  crying: 

"Stop !    Do  not  fire  again !" 

Juan  laughed  wildly. 

"I  hope  I  have  no  need  to  do  dat!"  he  returned.  "I 
hear  where  his  voice  sound-a,  and  I  shoot  toward  it. 
Ha!  ha!  Mebbe  I  do  not  miss." 

Frank  was  astonished,  for  Juan  seemed  entirely 
changed.  He  no  longer  cringed  and  cowered,  but  he 
seemed  wrought  to  madness  and  despair. 

The  rifle  was  taken  from  the  Chilian  boy,  and  then 
Frank  called : 

"Are  you  injured,  sir?" 

"Not  at  all,"  was  the  calm  reply.  "The  bullet  passed 
within  a  few  inches  of  my  head,  but  I  was  not  at  all 
touched." 

This  seemed  to  make  Juan  frantic.  He  raved  in  Span 
ish  for  several  minutes,  showing  he  had  a  passionate 
nature  and  a  fiery  temper.  He  was  quite  changed  from 
the  quiet,  timid  lad  of  a  short  time  before. 

"Be  quiet!"  ordered  Frank,  sternly.  "What  is  the 
good  of  all  this  bluster  and  noise !  Keep  still." 

Juan  became  silent,  but  he  was  heard  to  grate  his 
teeth  occasionally,  and  his  restless  movements  told  that 
he  was  holding  himself  in  check  by  a  great  effort. 

"Do  you  accept  my  proposal?"  demanded  the  man  in 


To  the  Rescue.  51 

the  darkness,  impatiently.     "At  once  you  must  answer, 
for  I  care  not  to  remain  here  and  be  shot  at  some  more." 

"Is  that  the  only  condition  you  have  to  offer?"  asked 
Frank,  his  heart  heavy  in  his  bosom. 

"Si,  sefior;  the  only  one." 

"If  I  give  up  Juan  Matias,  you  will  release  Ephraim 
Gallup,  and  will  promise  that  we  shall  leave  the  moun 
tains  without  being  harmed  ?" 

"Si,  senor." 

Juan  breathed  heavily.  He  was  awaiting  Frank's  de 
cision.  Frank  had  expected  he  would  entreat  not  to 
be  given  up,  but  he  did  nothing  of  the  sort. 

Within  himself  Frank  Merriwell  was  fighting  a  battle. 
Juan  Matias  was  of  foreign  blood,  while  Ephraim  Gallup, 
brave  and  true,  was  a  Yankee,  an  old  schoolmate,  a  true 
friend  and  comrade.  When  it  came  to  a  choice  between 
them  there  could  be  no  hesitation  on  his  part. 

If  Juan  were  not  given  up  Ephraim  would  be  killed 
immediately,  and  there  could  be  little  doubt  but  the 
bandits  would  afterward  complete  their  work  by  slaugh 
tering  the  other  boys.  By  the  sacrifice  of  the  Chilian  lad 
the  other  two  might  escape. 

Frank  thought  this  all  over  in  a  moment,  and  then  he 
despised  himself  for  hesitating.  He  saw  his  honor  black 
ened,  and  felt  a  thrill  of  shame  because  he  had  hesitated 
an  instant. 

"What  do  you  tell  him,  Frank?" 

Juan  asked  the  question,  his  voice  soft  and  low. 

"Tell  him!"  said  Frank,  hoarsely;  "there  is  but  one 
thing  to  tell  him !  I  took  your  hand  in  San  Francisco, 
and  said  I  would  be  your  partner  to  the  bitter  end.  Do 
you  think  I  will  go  back  on  my  word!  No,  no — not 
even  to  save  Ephraim  Gallup,  my  old  schoolmate!" 

Then  he  passed  a  hand  across  his  forehead,  groaning : 

"Poor  Ephraim!" 

\ 


52  To  the  Rescue. 

"Come,  come!"  called  the  impatient  voice  in  the  dark 
ness.  "What  is  to  be  your  answer,  young  seiior.  Will 
you  give  Juan  Matias  up  to  save  the  other  and  yourself?" 

"No,  never!" 

The  man  uttered  an  exclamation  of  astonishment  in 
Spanish. 

"It  cannot  be  you  are  very  so  much  the  great  fool!' 
he  cried.  "Sefior  Gallup  will  be  killed  immediate  I  carrj 
back  your  answer.  And  then  you  cannot  escape.  Black 
Miguel  will  bring  his  men  and  finish  the  work.  All  three 
will  fall.  Think — think  how  it  can  be  that  you  may  save 
yourself  and  your  friend  if  you  but  do  give  up  Juan 
Matias." 

"I  have  thought  of  it.  Go  ahead  with  your  murderous 
work !  I  shall  stand  by  Juan  to  the  end !" 

"If  not  of  yourself,  then  of  your  friend  you  should 
think.  It  is  your  duty  to  save  him." 

"If  this  proposal  were  made  to  him,  I  know  what  his 
answer  would  be.  He  would  despise  me  if  I  gave  up  Juan 
to  save  him  and  to  save  myself.  You  have  had  my  an 
swer." 

Juan  clutched  Frank's  arm,  and  his  voice  trembled  with 
emotion,  as  he  panted : 

"T'ank-a  you,  t'ank-a  you!  You  sure  be  de  true 
friend-a!  But  it  be  not  right-a — you  must  not  die  for 
me-a.  No,  no,  no !  If  you  can  git  away,  den  I  go  give-a 
myself  up !  I  do  dat  now.  My  fazare  is  dead ;  my  sistare 
is  lost ;  nothing  I  have  to  live  for !  Tell  him,  Frank — tell 
him  dat  I  give  myself  up." 

Frank  Merriwell  was  dazed.  Could  it  be  possible  this 
was  the  cringing,  shivering,  unnerved  boy  whom  he  had 
regarded  as  a  coward  a  short  time  ago?  Such  a  thing 
seemed  impossible. 

"Are  you  in  earnest,  Juan  ?"  he  demanded. 

''I  am,  Frank.    Tell-a  him  dat." 


To  the  Rescue.  53 

"No!"  cried  Merriwell,  fiercely.  "Ephraim  would  de 
spise  me  still  more  when  he  knew  all — and  I  should  hate 
myself !  No !  We  can  make  no  terms  with  this  villainous 
marques !" 

"But,  think,  Frank,  think " 

"Juan,  the  chances  are  that  this  is  a  trick.  We  have 
shown  them  we  can  fight,  and  they  fear  us,  boys  though 
we  are.  If  you  were  given  up,  and  we  submitted  our 
selves  into  the  hands  of  the  bandits,  all  would  be  mur 
dered  in  cold  blood.  There  may  be  no  hope  for  us,  but, 
at  least,  we  can  fight!" 

The  man  in  the  darkness  heard  these  words,  and  he 
flung  back : 

"All  right !  Your  own  way  you  shall  have.  The  chance 
you  have  been  given,  and  now  I  can  never  be  able  to 
save  you  some  more.  Black  Miguel  will  bring  to  you 
your  death.  Adios" 

A  moment  later  the  horse  was  heard  galloping  away. 

Juan  tried  to  use  the  rifle  once  more,  wishing  to  send 
a  shot  after  the  man;  but  Frank  would  not  permit  it,  as 
.he  believed  it  would  be  a  waste  of  lead. 

"Oh,  Frank !"  cried  the  Chilian  boy ;  "you  should  have 
let  me  go.  It  be  no  use  at  all,  for  we  all  have  to  be 
kill-a  at  last." 

"Juan,  it  was  a  trick — I  am  satisfied  on  that  point. 
Black  Miguel  is  not  going  to  let  any  of  us  escape,  if  he 
can  help  it.  If  I  gave  you  up  and  surrendered  myself 
into  the  power  of  the  bandits,  they  could  kill  us  all  without 
danger  to  themselves.  But,  even  if  they  were  honest,  I 
could  not  think  of  giving  you  up  in  order  to  escape. 
I  swore  to  stand  by  you  through  thick  and  thin — I  gave 
you  my  hand  on  it.  Frank  Merriwell  never  breaks  his 
word." 

"Oh,  Frank !  I  think  dere  never  be  another  boy  like-a 
you !  You  be  so  grand !" 


54  To  the  Rescue. 

"Oh,  that  is  nonsense,  Juan!  I  am  doing  what  any 
decent  fellow  would  do — that's  all.  Don't  give  me  too 
much  credit." 

But  there  was  a  great  fear  in  Frank's  heart.  Ephraim 
was  a  captive  in  the  hands  of  the  bandits,  and  it  was 
likely  he  would  be  destroyed  without  delay. 

Was  there  no  way  to  save  him? 

Frank  asked  himself  the  question  over  and  over,  and 
then  he  formed  a  resolution  to  do  what  he  could. 

"Juan,"  he  said,  "I  am  going  down  the  valley  to  see 
if  I  can  find  out  anything  concerning  Ephraim." 

Juan  said  nothing. 

"I  want  you  to  stay  here,"  Frank  went  on.  "I  want 
you  to  watch  the  horses  and  hold  this  fort,  if  any  one 
tries  to  take  it." 

He  expected  the  Chilian  boy  would  remonstrate,  and 
great  was  his  surprise  when  Juan  calmly  said : 

"I  will  do  what  I  can,  Frank.  I  am  not  so  very  much 
of  the  fighter." 

"Keep  cool  and  listen,"  advised  Frank.  "When  I  re 
turn  I  will  whistle  twice,  make  a  pause,  and  then  whistle 
once.  By  that  signal  you  will  know  me." 

"I  will." 

"If  you  hear  anything  suspicious,  utter  a  challenge.  If 
you  get  no  answer,  fire." 

"I  will." 

Frank  paused,  and  then  his  hand  found  the  shoulder 
of  his  companion,  whom  he  had  come  to  respect  anew 
within  a  few  minutes. 

"I  may  not  come  back,  Juan,"  he  said,  a  trifle  huskily. 
"I  am  going  down  there  to  give  Ephraim  a  helping  hand, 
if  I  can.  If  he  is  in  danger  of  being  killed,  I  shall  stand 
by  him.  The  bandits  may  finish  us  both.  If  I  do  not 
come  back — if  we  never  see  each  other  again — farewell, 
Juan." 


To  the  Rescue.  55 

A  sob  came  from  the  throat  of  the  Chilian  boy,  and, 
suddenly,  he  embraced  Frank,  clinging  to  him  a  moment. 

"AdiosJ  adios!  adiosl"  May  all  the  saints  defend-a 
you,  Frank !  While  you  are  gone  I  will  pray,  pray,  pray. 
My  great  sorrow  is  that  I  bring-a  you  here." 

"Don't  let  that  trouble  you,  Juan,  my  lad.  You  did 
not  bring  me  here — I  came  of  my  own  accord.  You  have 
nothing  to  weigh  heavily  on  your  conscience.  My  regret 
is  that  we  have  stumbled  into  this  trap  so  soon — that  we 
have  been  unable  to  solve  the  mystery  of  your  father's 
and  sister's  disappearance.  It  was  fate.  Good-by." 

"Adios!" 

Slowly  Frank  made  his  way  down  the  valley,  uncer 
tain  as  to  what  moment  he  might  walk  into  a  trap. 

"At  any  rate,  I  will  die  fighting,"  he  thought. 

He  held  his  rifle  ready  for  immediate  use,  and  he  could 
work  the  repeater  with  astonishing  swiftness  and  ac 
curacy. 

The  darkness  seemed  to  deepen.  The  stream  gurgled 
faintly,  and  Frank  kept  close  by  it,  pausing  frequently  to 
listen. 

It  seemed  that  he  had  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  gap 
by  which  they  had  entered  the  valley  when,  of  a  sudden, 
high  up  at  one  side  of  the  valley  a  light  blazed  forth. 

It  seemed  that  the  light  was  turned  upon  the  boy,  and 
he  immediately  dropped  to  the  ground. 

Not  a  moment  too  soon. 

Across  the  valley  shot  the  bar  of  light,  passing  directly 
over  him.  Had  he  been  standing  he  must  have  been  re 
vealed. 

"Well,  this  is  interesting!"  muttered  Frank,  clutching 
his  rifle  in  anticipation  of  an  attack.  "Can  those  people 
see  in  the  dark  that  they  are  able  to  tell  some  one  is 
moving  down  the  valley  ?  This  is  surely  a  valley  of  mys 
teries." 


56  To  the  Rescue. 

For  a  few  seconds  the  bar  of  light  remained  motion 
less,  and  then  it  moved.  Away  it  traveled  to  the  south, 
glaring  broadly  on  one  side  of  the  valley,  while  it  gleamed 
out  like  a  fiery  eye  high  up  in  the  face  of  the  black 
wall  on  the  other  side. 

"That  is  a  powerful  reflector,"  muttered  Frank.  "If 
the  light  should  reach  me,  I  would  be  revealed." 

All  at  once  the  fiery  eye  seemed  to  close  with  a  wink 
and  blank  darkness  lay  in  the  valley  once  more. 

Frank  felt  sure  the  persons  behind  the  reflector  had 
been  surveying  the  valley  to  see  if  any  one  was  moving 
therein. 

Some  moments  after  the  reflector  was  shut  off  an 
other  light  gleamed  out  from  the  wall,  showing  an  open 
ing  in  the  apparently  solid  rock. 

The  light  came  from  a  flaring  torch,  which  was  held 
above  the  head  of  a  man.  Other  men  appeared  in  the 
opening,  and  the  light  of  the  torch  showed  them  swing 
ing  out  over  and  descending  to  the  level  of  the  valley 
by  means  of  a  rope  or  a  rope  ladder. 

Frank  believed  he  understood  why  the  reflector  had 
been  used.  The  persons  who  were  coming  down  into  the 
valley  wished  to  learn  if  they  were  likely  to  be  observed 
by  enemies. 

"Well,  they  barely  missed  me,"  thought  the  boy.  "If 
I  had  not  dropped  as  if  I  were  shot,  they  would  have 
seen  me." 

Three  persons  came  out  of  the  opening  and  descended 
the  ladder,  after  which  the  man  with  the  torch  retreated 
and  disappeared. 

Ten  seconds  later  the  reflector  suddenly  shot  a  light 
into  the  valley  once  more. 

"Great  Scott!"  gasped  Frank,  who  had  arisen  to  his 
feet  and  moved  down  the  stream  a  short  distance  "This 
is  getting  decidedly  warm!" 


To  the  Rescue.  57 

There  seemed  to  be  no  place  of  concealment  near  at 
hand,  so  he  dropped  to  the  ground  once  more,  and  lay 
still. 

The  light  of  the  reflector  played  over  the  bottom  of 
the  valley.  It  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  boy,  who 
clutched  his  rifle  and  thrust  it  forward,  ready  to  shoot 
if  forced  to  do  so. 

The  light  fell  on  the  stream,  near  which  Frank  was 
stretched  on  the  ground,  and  the  boy  scarcely  restrained 
an  exclamation  of  astonishment. 

The  stream  had  dwindled  to  a  mere  thread,  which 
was  trickling  along  the  lowest  part  of  its  bed.  It  had 
been  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  width,  but  now  a  per 
son  could  step  over  it  with  the  greatest  ease. 

"Another  of  the  remarkable  things  which  seem  to  be 
constantly  taking  place  in  this  valley,"  thought  the  lad. 

Then  a  strange  fancy  came  to  him.  It  was  that  the 
stream  had  been  burned  up  by  the  fire. 

This  thought  he  immediately  thrust  aside,  regarding 
it  as  childish  and  absurd.  His  attention  was  once  more 
given  to  the  shifting  light  of  the  reflector. 

This  light  finally  fell  on  three  persons  who  were  cross 
ing  the  stream  a  short  distance  below  where  Frank  lay. 
One  of  the  three  was  plainly  an  Indian.  The  other  two 
were  half-bloods,  and  all  looked  fierce  and  formidable. 

"They  belong  to  the  bandits,"  thought  the  boy. 

When  the  trio  had  crossed  the  stream  the  light  from  the 
reflector  suddenly  vanished  again,  and  all  was  darkness 
in  the  valley  of  mystery. 

The  light  had  revealed  to  Frank  that  he  was  yet  a  con 
siderable  distance  above  the  gap  by  which  the  valley 
had  been  entered. 

He  arose  to  his  feet  and  moved  forward  slowly,  pausing 
frequently  to  listen  with  great  intentness. 


58  To  the  Rescue. 

He  was  expecting  that  the  light  from  the  reflector 
might  be  shot  into  the  valley  at  any  moment. 

This,  however,  did  not  occur  again  for  some  time, 
and  he  was  enabled  to  find  the  gap  without  being  in 
further  danger  from  the  light. 

There  were  sentinels  on  guard  at  the  mouth  of  the 
gap.  He  heard  them  speaking  to  each  other  in  the  dark 
ness  and  heard  them  walking  to  and  fro. 

At  a  distance  below  the  gap  a  light  shone  out  into 
the  valley. 

Frank  moved  toward  this  point,  and,  in  a  short  time, 
he  found  himself  looking  into  an  alcove  among  the 
rocks  where  the  bandits  were  camped. 

His  heart  leaped  into  his  mouth  the  moment  he  looked 
in  there,  for  he  saw  the  ruffians  were  preparing  to  shoot 
Ephraim  Gallup,  who  was  standing  with  his  back  against 
a  small  tree,  to  which  he  was  tied  securely. 

The  light  of  a  fire  revealed  the  bandits  and  the  unfortu 
nate  captive,  who  had  been  carried  into  their  clutches 
by  a  frightened  and  unruly  horse. 

A  line  of  savage-looking  men,  with  leveled  rifles,  were 
standing  within  ten  paces  of  the  luckless  lad. 

In  a  moment  those  rifles  would  belch  forth  fire  and 
death. 

With  the  quickness  of  thought,  Frank  Merriwell's  rifle 
leaped  to  his  shoulder,  and  he  began  to  work  it  with 
such  rapidity  that  there  was  scarcely  a  break  between  the. 
reports. 

For  once  in  his  life,  at  least,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  shoot 
at  human  beings,  for  he  knew  it  was  the  only  way  of 
saving  his  friend. 

Two  of  the  six  executioners  fell  immediately,  while  a 
third  clasped  his  side,  dropped  his  rifle,  and  staggered 
away. 


To  the  Rescue.  59 

*lne  attack  was  so  sudden  and  unexpected  that  the 
bandits  were  thrown  into  the  utmost  confusion  and  ter 
ror. 

Frank  leaped  forward,  swinging  his  rifle  from  his 
shoulder  by  its  strap.  Out  flashed  a  knife,  and  he 
reached  the  side  of  Ephraim  Gallup.  Two  swift  slashes 
set  the  captive  free.  Frank's  hand  grasped  Ephraim's 
wrist,  and  he  literally  yanked  the  Vermonter  toward  the 
darkness  beyond  range  of  the  firelight. 

"Run  I"  he  panted. 

"Frank!"  gasped  the  Yankee  lad. 

"It  will  be  a  hot  race  for  the  waterfall,"  said  Frank; 
"but  we  may  be  able  to  make  it." 

"We  must  make  it,"  grated  the  other  boy.  "We'll  lose 
aour  skulps  ef  we  don't,  an'  that's  sartin'  sure." 

The  sentries  at  the  mouth  of  the  gap  had  been  alarmed, 
and  they  were  expecting  an  attempt  would  be  made  to 
escape  from  the  valley  by  passing  them. 

The  bandits  who  had  been  thrown  into  confusion  by 
Frank's  attack  recovered  swiftly,  and  they  set  out  after 
the  running  lads,  shouting  hoarsely  and  angrily.  Some 
times  they  fired  at  random  into  the  darkness,  hoping  to 
wing  one  of  the  boys. 

Both  youths  knew  there  was  danger  that  they  might 
be  hit  by  a  chance  bullet,  and  they  bowed  their  heads 
and  ran  for  all  that  was  in  them. 

Ephraim  had  not  been  given  time  to  wonder  at  Frank's 
unexpected  appearance.  All  the  emotion  that  he  could 
feel  was  a  sensation  of  thankfulness  at  his  escape  from 
what  seemed  certain  death. 

The  stream  was  reached,  and  Frank  thought  of  cross 
ing  over,  hoping  to  deceive  their  pursuers;  but,  to  his 
great  astonishment,  the  channel  was  once  more  bankful 
with  water. 


60  To  the  Rescue. 

Such  marvelous  changes  took  place  in  the  valley  that  it 
was  not  strange  he  should  feel  dazed  and  bewildered. 

Up  the  stream  they  went. 

The  bandits  were  making  a  great  noise  behind  them, 
but  the  lads  were  holding  their  own,  if  not  gaining. 

Then  came  something  that  caused  Frank  to  utter  an 
exclamation  of  anger  and  dismay. 

The  light  from  the  reflector  was  flung  into  the  valley 
again. 

"That  light  will  be  the  ruin  of  us!"  grated  Merri- 
well.  "If  it  falls  on  us  it  will  be  kept  there,  and  the 
bandits  will  be  given  a  chance  to  shoot  us  down." 

"That's  right,  b'gosh !"  gasped  Ephraim.  "But  what 
in  thutteration  be  we  goin'  to  do?" 

"Stop !    I  will  try  something." 

They  stopped,  Frank  dropped  on  one  knee,  leveled  his 
rifle,  and  took  aim  at  the  light. 

The  report  of  the  rifle  was  followed  by  a  distinct  crash, 
and  the  light  went  out. 

"Hooray!"  cried  Ephraim,  in  delight.  "You  done  it 
slick !" 

"Down !"  hissed  Frank,  catching  hold  of  the  Yankee 
boy,  and  yanking  him  to  the  ground. 

Not  a  second  too  soon,  for  the  flash  of  Frank's  rifle  had 
been  seen,  and  several  shots  were  fired  toward  the  spot, 
the  bullets  whistling  over  the  prostrate  boys. 

"Up!"  panted  Frank — "up,  and  away!" 

Then  they  sprang  up  and  fled  onward  toward  the 
waterfall. 

It  was  a  desperate  race  for  life,  but  the  boys  were  fleet 
of  foot,  and  they  were  not  overtaken.  The  fortress  of 
rocks  was  reached,  and  they  crouched  behind  the  wall, 
panting  for  breath,  and  ready  to  defend  the  spot  to  the 
end. 


To  the  Rescue.  61 

But  the  bandits  did  not  press  them,  and,  after  a  time, 
Frank  looked  around  for  Juan. 

The  Chilian  boy  was  not  at  hand,  and  in  vain  they  called 
him.  He  did  not  answer.  The  two  horses  remained  in 
their  places,  but  Juan  Matias  was  gone. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

UNDER    THE    WATERFALL. 

"Gone!" 

The  boys  uttered  the  word  in  unison,  staring  at  each 
other  through  the  darkness. 

"Gol  dern  me  ef  I  kin  understand  where  he  kin  hev 
gone  to !"  exclaimed  Ephraim.  "Did  yeou  tell  him  to  stay 
here?" 

"Sure;  and  he  said  he  would  do  so." 

"Can't  never  put  no  dependence  on  the  word  of  a  Span 
iard." 

"There  is  where  you  are  wrong,  Ephraim.  There  are 
Spaniards  who  are  honest  as  anybody.  It  is  the  half- 
bloods  you  cannot  trust." 

"Wai,  wasn't  Wand  a  half-blood  ?" 

"In  one  sense  he  is,  but  the  mixture  is  good — half  Span 
ish  and  half  English.  By  half-bloods  I  mean  the  Span 
ish-Indians.  They  are  treacherous." 

"Wai,  Wand  didn't  hev  any  nerve." 

"I  don't  know  about  that.    I  think  he  did  have  nerve." 

Then  Frank  told  of  the  proposal  made  by  the  Marques 
Aguila,  and  how  Juan  had  offered  to  give  himself  up 
that  the  other  boys  might  go  free. 

"That  clean  beats  mel"  acknowledged  Ephraim.  "I 
wouldn't  hev  believed  it  ef  anybody  but  yeou  hed  tole 
me." 

"It  is  the  truth,  and  I  am  sure  the  boy  was  in  earnest." 

"Then  yeou  don't  think  he  was  skeered  away  from  here 
By  the  saound  of  the  shutin'  that  has  bin  goin'  on  daown 
below?" 


Under  the  Waterfall.  63 

"I  do  not  think  so,  but  he  may  have  been." 

"He  didn't  take  either  one  uv  the  hosses." 

"No." 

"Mebbe  he  kinder  thought  he  could  git  away  better 
'thout  'em." 

"I  do  not  believe  he  would  try  to  get  away  till  he 
knew  what  had  happened  to  me — I  will  not  believe  it." 

"Then  where  has  he  gone?"     . 

"That  is  more  than  I  can  tell." 

"What'll  we  do?" 

"Wait  a  while  and  see  if  he  does  not  turn  up." 

So  the  boys  settled  behind  the  rocks  and  waited. 

A  profound  silence  seemed  to  rest  over  the  night- 
shrouded  valley.  Some  way  there  was  something  omi 
nous  in  the  silence.  The  boys  felt  creepy  and  uneasy. 

"Seems  like  them  critters  is  crawlin'  up  on  us,"  whis 
pered  the  lad  from  Vermont.  "Can't  hear  'em,  kin  ye?" 

"No;  I  can  hear  nothing — except  a  galloping  horse." 

"Hoss  is  comin'." 

"That's  right" 

"Who  kin  be  with  the  critter?" 

"The  Marques  Aguila,  perhaps." 

"Comin'  here  agin' — for  what?" 

"That  remains  to  be  seen.    Keep  still." 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  galloping  fiorse,  till  it 
was  quite  close  at  hand.  The  boys  held  their  weapons 
ready  for  use,  and  Frank  was  on  the  point  of  uttering 
a  challenge  when  the  horse  was  heard  to  take  to  the 
stream. 

"Halt,  there!" 

The  cry  came  from  Frank's  lips. 

There  was  no  answer.  The  horse  continued  to  splash 
along  the  stream,  being  now  near  at  hand. 

"Halt,  or  we  fire!" 

The  horse  seemed  to  spring  forward,  there  was  a  break 


64  Under  the  Waterfall. 

in  the  sound  of  the  waterfall,  and  then  the  horse  could 
be  heard  no  more. 

"Great  gosh!"  gurgled  Ephraim. 

"Gone!"  muttered  Frank. 

"Mebbe  that's  right;  but  where  has  the  critter  gone?" 

"Under  the  waterfall." 

"Under  the  waterfall !    Git  aout !    Haow  kin  that  be?" 

"The  falling  water  must  conceal  the  mouth  of  a  cave." 

"Smotherin'  smoke!    I  never  thought  uv  that!" 

"I  thought  of  it  when  the  horse  and  rider  appeared 
some  time  ago,  and  now  I  feel  almost  certain  of  it." 

"Ef  yeou're  right,  it  beats  all  natur,  that's  all !" 

"I  will  wager  I  am  right,  and  I  am  going  to  prove  it." 

"Haow?" 

"By  looking  for  the  cave — by  going  into  it." 

"Haow  ye  goin'  into  it?" 

"Through  the  waterfall." 

"Thutter!" 

"I  should  not  be  surprised  if  it  proved  to  be  one  of 
the  entrances  to  the  bandits'  cave,  for  I  am  certain  the 
bandits  have  a  cave  near  at  hand." 

The  Vermonter  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  he  said : 

"Frank." 

"Well?" 

"Yeou've  got  the  longest  head  uv  any  feller  I  ever 
>aw,  b'gosh !  Yeou  simply  beat  all  creation !" 

Frank  laughed  a  bit,  softly. 

"I  don't  care  about  beating  all  creation,"  he  said.  "If 
I  could  fool  these  bloodthirsty  bandits  a  bit,  about  now, 
I  would  be  well  satisfied." 

"Fool  'em!  Yeou've  nigh  done  better  than  that  al 
ready,  by  gum !  Ef  yeou  didn't  lick  the  hull  gang  fer  a 
minute,  I  don't  know  a  thing." 

"But  we  are  still  trapped  in  this  valley.     I  want  tc 


Under  the  Waterfall.  65 

fool  them  and  get  out.  That's  what  I  am  figuring  ort 
just  now." 

"Wai,  figger  erway,  an'  I  hope  ye'll  figger  it  aout." 

A  moment  later  Frank  directed  Ephraim  to  follow,  and 
then  climbed  over  the  rocks  and  started  toward  the  water 
fall.  Frank  had  reloaded  his  rifle,  and  Ephraim's  rifle, 
which  had  been  left  behind  the  rocks,  was  recovered  and 
in  the  possession  of  its  owner. 

Frank  crept  down  close  to  the  edge  of  the  waterfall, 
passed  his  rifle  to  his  companion,  and  said : 

"I  expect  to  be  well  drenched,  but  it  will  pay  if  I  dis 
cover  what  I  am  looking  for.  I  don't  mind  the  wetting." 

He  stepped  into  the  stream  and  waded  out  a  bit.  All 
at  once  he  paused,  a  low  exclamation  breaking  from  his 
lips. 

"What  is  it  ?"  asked  Ephraim,  softly. 

"A  light !"  exclaimed  Frank.  "Can't  you  see  it  shining 
on  the  water?  It  is  beyond  the  waterfall." 

Ephraim  saw  it,  and  it  gave  him  an  uncanny  sensation. 
He  felt  as  if  something  cold  were  creeping  along  his 
spine. 

"What's  it  mean?"  he  hoarsely  whispered. 

"It  means  there  is  somebody  in  there  with  a  light," 
replied  Frank,  exultantly.  "It  means  that  I  was  right  in 
thinking  there  is  a  cave  beneath  this  waterfall.  It  means 
The  light  is  gone !" 

Quick  as  a  flash  Frank  plunged  through  the  sheet  of 
falling  water.  A  moment  later  he  came  back,  shaking 
the  water  from  his  clothes. 

"Quick !"  he  gurgled,  "give  me  my  rifle !    Come  on  V9 

"What  do  you  mean  to  do?" 

"Go  in  there." 

"What  did  you  find?" 

"A  cave,  as  I  thought  I  should." 

"Anything  else?" 


66  Under  the  Waterfall. 

"Didn't  stop  to  look  for  anything  else,  then.    Come  on." 

Frank  tucked  the  butt  of  his  revolver  up  under  his  coat, 
and  plunged  through  the  waterfall  again. 

Ephraim  had  waded  out  into  the  stream,  but  he  hesi 
tated  a  moment.  Then  he  set  his  teeth,  muttering : 

"Here  goes!" 
-       Through  he  went. 

It  was  no  more  than  a  thin  sheet  of  water,  and  they 
were  on  the  other  side  in  a  moment.  Ephraim  felt  him 
self  grasped,  and  Frank's  voice  whispered  in  his  ear: 

"Be  still !  The  man  who  came  in  here  ahead  of  us  is 
not  far  away." 

Clinging  to  each  other,  they  moved  forward. 

The  place  was  very  damp,  and  the  walls  dripped  mois 
ture,  for  the  water  forced  itself  down  through  cracks  in 
the  rocks. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  came  to  a  point  where  a  passage 
led  off  to  the  left,  and  there  they  halted  abruptly,  for,  in 
the  distance,  gleamed  the  light  of  a  torch. 

That  light  showed  them  a  man,  who  suddenly  disap 
peared  as  if  he  had  stepped  through  an  open  doorway. 

"Come  on !"  hissed  Frank,  and  he  skurried  along  that 
passage,  with  Ephraim  close  at  his  heels. 

By  rare  good  fortune,  they  made  little  noise,  and  they 
quickly  reached  the  place  where  the  man  had  disappeared. 

There  they  paused  and  looked  into  a  large,  dry  cham 
ber,  which  seemed  to  be  well  aired,  as  if  it  opened  to  the 
outer  world  some  way. 

At  the  farther  side  of  this  chamber  were  some  rude 
stalls,  and  two  of  these  stalls  were  occupied  by  horses. 

In  the  middle  of  this  chamber,  or  underground  stable, 
a  man  was  rubbing  the  water  from  another  horse. 

Frank  knew  this  was  the  man  who  had  just  ridden  into 
the  cavern. 

Both  boys  were  filled  with  astonishment,  for  of  all  the 


Under  the  Waterfall.  67 

wonderful  things  they  had  beheld  since  entering  the 
mysterious  valley,  this  seemed  the  most  remarkable. 

They  could  not  express  their  feelings  by  words,  but 
Frank's  hand  gave  Eph's  arm  a  pressure  that  meant 
much. 

They  took  good  care  not  to  be  seen. 

The  man  did  his  work  thoroughly,  drying  the  horse 
well,  and  then  covering  the  animal  with  a  warm  blanket, 
after  which  the  creature  was  led  into  one  of  the  stalls 
and  fed. 

When  this  matter  had  been  attended  to  the  man  picked 
up  the  torch,  which  had  been  thrust  upright  into  a  rift 
in  the  rocks,  and  started  to  leave  the  stable. 

The  boys  drew  back  hastily,  crouched  in  an  angle  of 
the  passage,  and  prepared  to  meet  the  man,  if  he  should 
come  upon  them. 

But  he  left  the  stable  and  turned  the  other  way. 

They  followed,  keeping  within  view  of  the  flaring 
torch. 

"He  will  lead  us  to  the  hiding  place  of  the  bandits," 
whispered  Frank. 

"Sure  as  preachin'  is  preachin',"  returned  Ephraim. 

The  passage  did  not  lead  straight  ahead,  but  turned 
and  twisted  in  many  directions,  so  the  boys  sometimes 
lost  sight  of  the  torch  for  a  moment. 

Once  or  twice  the  man  seemed  to  halt  and  listen. 

At  length  a  flight  of  rude  steps,  hewn  from  the  solid 
rock,  was  reached. 

Far  above  them  they  saw  the  man  climbing  upward. 

The  wonders  of  that  underground  place  were  astound 
ing,  but  the  boys  had  no  time  to  stop  and  think  of  that. 

As  soon  as  they  dared,  they  started  to  climb  the  stairs. 
The  torch  vanished,  and  they  knew  the  man  had  reached 
the  top. 


68  Under  the  Waterfall. 

"Be  lively!"  palpitated  Frank,  as  he  scrambled  up  the 
steps. 

They  made  some  noise,  and  Frank  feared  the  man 
would  hear  them;  but  nothing  of  the  kind  took  place. 

At  last  the  top  of  the  flight  was  reached. 

Far  away  the  torch  gleamed  and  vanished. 

Regardless  of  any  danger  that  might  await  them  in 
the  darkness,  they  rushed  toward  the  spot  where  it  had 
been  seen. 

The  passage  widened,  and  then  it  turned  suddenly  and 
came  out  into  a  mighty  chamber. 

Frank  clutched  Ephraim,  and  the  boys  stopped  abruptly 
on  the  brink  of  an  underground  lake  that  lay  spread  be 
fore  them. 

At  a  distance  on  the  bosom  of  this  lake  a  boat  was 
moving  from  them.  In  the  boat  the  flaring  torch  was 
set.  The  man  they  had  followed  was  paddling  the  boat 
away. 

The  light  of  the  torch  gleamed  on  the  bosom  of  the 
water  that  lay  like  a  great  pool  of  ink,  covering  the  entire 
floor  of  the  chamber. 

Overhead  was  such  dense  darkness  that  the  roof  could 
not  be  seen. 

In  a  moment  Frank  saw  the  man  in  the  boat  was  get 
ting  away,  for  the  great  body  of  water  would  keep  them 
from  following  him,  as  no  other  boat  seemed  at  hand. 

Frank  was  desperate.  He  had  believed  they  would 
be  able  to  follow  the  man  to  the  outlaws'  den,  and  he 
did  not  fancy  being  baffled  in  such  a  manner. 

"I  must  stop  him !"  he  grated. 

He  dropped  on  one  knee,  flinging  his  rifle  to  his  shoul 
der.  But  just  as  Frank  was  going  to  utter  a  challenge  a 
most  surprising  thing  took  place. 

A  figure  suddenly  uprose  from  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
grappled  with  the  man,  and  a  fierce  battle  began. 


Under  the  Waterfat  69 

"Great  gosh!"  gasped  Ephraim  Gallup. 

"What  in  thutter  is  ther  meanin'  uv  that?" 

Frank  was  no  less  astonished  than  the  Yankee  boy, 
and  he  stared  in  wonderment  at  the  struggling  forms. 

The  torchlight  was  such  that  it  did  not  show  them 
plainly. 

The  boat  rocked  violently,  threatening  to  upset. 

Exclamations  in  Spanish  came  from  the  lips  of  the 
combatants. 

All  at  once  there  was  a  sharp  cry  of  pain,  and  then 
one  of  the  two  toppled  backward  and  struck  the  surface 
of  the  water  with  a  splash,  disappearing  from  view. 

The  other,  with  the  torchlight  showing  a  knife  clutched 
in  his  trembling  hand,  leaned  over  the  edge  of  the  boat 
and  peered  down  into  the  inky  water,  as  if  waiting  for 
his  enemy  to  rise,  that  he  might  finish  the  job  with  an 
other  stroke. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  knew  they  had  beheld  an  under 
ground  tragedy,  and  they  felt  the  blood  rushing  through 
their  veins  and  their  hearts  fluttering. 

The  one  who  remained  in  the  boat  cried  out  something 
in  Spanish,  quickly  flinging  down  the  deadly  knife  as  if 
he  had  been  seized  by  a  sudden  horror  for  it. 

That  voice  sounded  familiar  to  both  lads. 

The  boat  swung  around  a  bit,  and  the  light  of  the 
torch  shone  upon  the  victor  in  such  a  way  that  they 
could  see  him  distinctly. 

"Gol  dern  my  boots !"  gasped  the  boy  from  Vermont. 
"Why,  that's— that's  Wand!" 

"It  is  Juan,  sure  enough !'  exclaimed  Frank. 

The  occupant  of  the  boat  heard  them,  and  he  suddenly 
grasped  the  paddle,  starting  to  paddle  away. 

"Juan!"  called  Frank. 

It  was  the  Chilian  boy,  and  he  paused,  with  the  paddle 
uplifted. 


70  Under  the  Waterfall. 

"Juan!" 

"Who  call?    Dat  you,  Frank?" 

''Yes." 

"De  saints  be  praise !  I  fear  it  be  Black  Miguel !  It 
sound-a  like  your  voice,  but  I  could  not  think-a  you  be 
here." 

"I  am  here,  and  so  is  Ephraim.    Come  back." 


CHAPTER  X. 

INTO    THE    FIGHT. 

Juan  dropped  the  paddle  into  the  water  and  turned 
the  boat  about.  Then  he  paddled  back  to  the  shore, 
sprang  out,  and  greeted  his  American  friends  with 
demonstrations  of  unspeakable  joy. 

"I  be  'fraid  we  never  see  each  odar  any  more,"  he  said. 
"I  be  'fraid  we  separate  for  good." 

"We  did  not  expect  to  see  you  again,"  confessed  Frank. 
"We  could  not  conceive  what  had  become  of  you." 

"After  you  go  the  water — the  waterfall — it  stop  to 
run." 

"I  know  that." 

"I  cannot  hear  it  some  more,  and  so  I  go  to  see  what 
the  matter  can  be.  I  find  it  has  stopped  to  run." 

"Yes,  yes?" 

"Then  I  find  the  great  black  hole  under  the  place 
where  the  waterfall  have  been.  I  light  some  matches, 
and  I  see  it  is  the  mouth  of  a  cave.  Then  into  it  I  will 
go,  and  so  I  do.  With  my  matches  it  is  able  for  me  to 
get  along.  I  find  the  passage,  the  horses,  the  steps,  and, 
last,  I  find  the  lake.  All  this  take  me  very  long  time, 
for  I  have  to  move  slow,  slow.  I  do  not  know  how  long 
I  have  been  here,  but  it  seem  that  I  have  been  two  or 
three  day.  I  know  it  be  not  so,  for  I  should  have  starved. 
But  I  find  the  lake  at  last,  and  I  find  the  boat.  I  am 
afraid  to  go  out  on  the  lake — I  am  afraid  I  never  get 
back.  It  is  pretty  bad  to  be  lost  on  a  lake  like  this,  you 
must  think.  I  stay  here  'long  time  and  think  on  what 
I  had  better  to  do.  Then  I  heard  somebody  coming.  I 


72  Into  the  Fight. 

know  not  how  I  can  hide.  In  the  bottom  of  the  boat  I 
see  one  blanket  that  have  been  left  there  by  somebody. 
It  does  not  take  me  long  under  that  to  get  myself,  and 
I  think  perhaps  I  may  keep  still  and  be  taken  to  the 
place  where  I  shall  find  Pepita.  Ha!  The  man — the 
bandit — he  get  into  the  boat.  Ha !  I  keep  all  curl  up  un 
der  de  blanket.  I  know  he  paddle  de  boat  out-a.  Bimeby 
pretty  soon  he  put  his  foot  on  my  hand,  and  his  boot 
jam  my  fingers  flat.  I  can  stand  it  not  any  longer — I 
shall  cry  with  de  pain.  I  get  mad-a.  Then  I  take  out  my 
knife,  jump  up,  and  fight  with  de  man.  I  take  him  so 
by  de  surprise  dat  I  get  de  best  of  him.  I  strike  him  with 
de  knife — he  fall  over — he  sink !  Dat  is  de  end." 

Juan  had  grown  very  excited  toward  the  end  of  his 
story,  and  he  was  shuddering  with  horror  when  he  had 
finished. 

"By  gosh !"  cried  Ephraim  Gallup.  "I  kainder  thought 
yeou  didn't  hev  no  sand,  but  I  take  it  all  back,  by  thut- 
ter !  Yeou're  all  right,  Wand !" 

Frank  then  explained  how  he  had  been  able  to  save 
Ephraim,  ending  by  saying: 

"It  seems  to  me  that  we  have  reason  to  hope,  for 
fate  has  aided  us  to  a  great  extent,  and  we  may  yet 
be  able  to  outwit  Black  Miguel  and  escape." 

"I  nevar  go  away  now  till  I  know  something  of  Pepita," 
declared  Juan,  fiercely.  "Don't  stay  with  me — go,  go !  If 
you  find  any  way  to  get  out,  go !  I  may  die  here — I  ex 
pect  dat !" 

"Juan,  we  are  with  you.  We  will  stand  by  each  other 
to  the  end  1" 

"You  are  very  good  friends — true  friends!  I  wonder 
if  all  American  boys  be  like  you?" 

"Not  all,  but  most  of  them." 

"Down  here  we  have  been  taught  to  hate  the  Ameri 
cans.  Once  we  thought  there  would  be  war  with  America. 


Into  the  Fight.  73 

We  think  we  are  able  to  beat  the  Americans,  for  every 
body  say  they  are  cowards  all.  If  they  be  like  what  I 
have  seen  of  them,  what  fools  Chilians  would  be  to  try 
to  fight  them !  America  would  be  able  to  beat  little  Chili 
in  so  very  short  time  that  it  would  be  a  great  astonish 
ment." 

"There  will  be  no  war  between  the  United  States  and 
Chili;  but  this  is  no  place  to  talk  of  such  things.  At 
present  we  must  look  out  for  ourselves.  What  is  to  be 
done  next  ?" 

"The  den  uv  the  bandits  is  somewhere  on  t'other  side 
uv  this  pond." 

"That  must  be  true.  But  how  large  is  this  lake  ?  That 
is  an  interesting  question.  The  stream  that  flows  through 
the  valley  must  be  the  outlet  of  this  lake.  Can  we  find 
the  proper  landing  place  of  the  farther  shore  ?" 

"We  can  try." 

"And  if  we  get  lost  on  the  lake — what  ?" 

"We'll  have  to  take  aour  chances  on  that." 

"I  think  you  are  right.  I  think  there  are  two  outlets 
to  this  lake,  and  that  the  bandits  are  able  to  turn  the 
water  from  one  channel  to  the  other.  That  would  explain 
why  the  stream  ceased  to  run  through  the  valley,  for 
the  water  had  been  turned  into  the  other  channel." 

"But  it  won't  explain  ther  fire  that  run  daown  the 
stream,  or  the  fightin'  skelerton  an'  demon." 

Frank  laughed  softly. 

"Those  things  are  easily  explained." 

"Then  yeou  jest  explain  um." 

"The  fire  was  caused  by  burning  oil.  Oil  will  float 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  a  large  amount  must  have 
been  poured  into  the  stream  and  then  ignited." 

"Never  thought  uv  that,  an'  I  smelt  oil  when  she  was 
burnin'.  But  haow  about  t'other  thing?" 

"That  was  a  magic  lantern  trick.    It  is  likely  you  have 


74  Into  the  Fight. 

seen  one  of  these  magic  lantern  shows  that  travel  around 
through  small  country  towns?" 

"Yes,  but  great  jee-thutter!  haow  could  they  do  that 
air  trick  here?  Jest  yeou  explain  that." 

"The  persons  who  worked  the  lantern  were  hidden  in 
this  cave,  high  up  at  one  side  of  the  valley.  There  must 
have  been  an  opening  in  the  wall,  like  a  window.  From 
that  opening  the  figures  were  flung  on  the  opposite  wall." 

"An'  I  was  scat !  But  yeou  ain't  told  whut  them  thun- 
derin'  noises  was  what  we  heard." 

"They  were  blasts  somewhere  in  this  cave.  What 
they  were  for  I  cannot  say." 

"Wai,  hang  a  fool !  It's  easy  enough  to  see  through 
things  after  they're  explained.  I  don't  know  so  much 
as  a  turkey  gobbler!" 

After  a  short  time  it  was  decided  that  they  had  better 
embark  on  the  bosom  of  the  lake  and  try  to  find  a  land 
ing  place  on  the  farther  shore. 

Frank  took  the  paddle,  and  the  boat  was  sent  skimming 
over  the  black  water  in  the  same  direction  that  had  been 
chosen  by  the  unfortunate  bandit. 

After  a  pull  of  about  fifteen  minutes  they  came  to  the 
opposite  shore,  and  before  them,  to  their  satisfaction, 
they  saw  the  great  opening  to  a  passage. 

They  landed,  and  were  about  to  proceed  into  the  pas 
sage  when  Frank  stopped  them,  saying,  quickly: 

"Be  still!    Listen!" 

They  listened,  and,  from  far  along  the  passage,  sounds 
Of  voices  came  to  them.  They  distinctly  heard  a  muffled 
shot  and  wild  cries.  The  sounds  became  more  and  more 
distinct,  and  the  boys  looked  into  each  other's  faces  in 
alarm. 

"Out  with  that  torch !"  hissed  Frank.  "We  are  likely 
to  be  in  a  heap  of  trouble  right  away!  Out  with  the 
torch,  I  say !" 


Into  the  Fight.  75 

The  torch  was  quickly  extinguished. 

The  sounds  came  nearer,  and  the  cries  were  hoarse  and 
fierce. 

Then  there  was  more  shooting,  being  this  time  a  succes 
sion  of  shots. 

"Into  the  boat !"  commanded  Frank.  "We  will  row  out 
a  short  distance." 

"Hang  me  ef  I  don't  think  we'd  better  row  out  a 
thunderin'  long  distance!"  spluttered  Ephraim. 

They  quickly  entered  the  boat  and  rowed  out  on  the 
lake. 

Soon  glimmering  lights  were  seen  far  along  the  pas 
sage,  and  then  the  lights  revealed  running  figures.  From 
these  figures  little  flashes  of  fire  leaped  out,  followed 
by  the  reports  of  firearms. 

"Who  be  they  shutin'  at?"  asked  Ephraim,  wonder- 
ingly. 

"Somebody  in  advance,"  replied  Frank.  "See — see 
those  others  who  have  no  torches.  There  are  two  of 
them — no,  three !  See,  one  of  them  fires  back !  His  aim 
was  good,  for  down  goes  a  torch!  That  is  a  race  for 
life!" 

"Dat  be  right!"  came  excitedly  from  Juan.  "Look — • 
see !  One  of  dem  dat  run  away  be  a  girl.  I  believe  dat 
be  Pepita." 

"It  may  be !"  cried  Frank.  "Paddle  in  nearer  shore. 
If  it  should  happen  to  be,  we  must  take  a  hand  in  that 
business." 

He  clutched  his  rifle  as  he  spoke,  and  Juan  grasped 
the  paddle  and  moved  the  boat  toward  the  shore. 

Onward  came  pursued  and  pursuers,  the  girl  seem 
ing  to  run  as  easily  as  any  of  them,  sometimes  giving 
assistance  to  one  of  the  men.  The  other  man,  who  ap 
peared  younger  and  livelier,  now  and  then  turned  to  shoot 
at  the  pursuers. 


76  Into  the  Fight. 

In  a  few  moments  the  fugitives  had  reached  the  edge 
of  the  lake,  and  a  cry  of  despair  came  from  them  when 
they  found  the  boat  was  not  there. 

"It  be  Pepita!"  wildly  exclaimed  Juan — "it  be  my 
sistare !" 

One  of  the  men  had  turned  again,  snapping  his  re 
volver,  which  failed  to  go.  It  was  empty ! 

The  pursuers  came  on  with  savage  yells. 

"Hold  the  boat  steady,"  directed  Frank  Merriwell, 
calmly.  "I  am  going  to  do  a  little  shooting.  Juan,  tell 
your  sister  and  her  companions  to  lie  down." 

The  Chilian  boy  did  so,  speaking  in  Spanish.  The  fugi 
tives  heard,  the  girl  gave  a  cry  of  joy,  and  the  three 
flung  themselves  on  the  ground. 

Then  Frank  gave  an  exhibition  of  shooting  that  was 
quite  astonishing.  He  worked  his  rifle  swiftly,  and  every 
bullet  seemed  billeted. 

Three  of  the  pursuers  fell  with  the  first  three  shots,  and 
the  others  turned  in  consternation  and  fled,  bullets  whis 
tling  about  their  ears. 

"Paddle  ashore,"  directed  Frank.  "This  boat  is  large 
enough  to  hold  three  more.  Do  not  lose  time." 

The  boat  was  run  into  the  shore.  Juan  leaped  out  and 
embraced  his  sister,  who  was  nearly  overcome  with  joy. 
Then  one  of  the  men,  the  one  the  girl  had  helped  along, 
grasped  the  boy,  and  Juan  gave  a  wild  shout  of  gladness, 
crying,  in  Spanish : 

"My  father — it  is  my  father." 

"Don't  waste  time,"  swiftly  said  Frank.  "Moments  are 
precious.  Get  into  the  boat.  We  must  be  away." 

He  hurried  them  into  the  boat,  and  they  pushed  out 
upon  the  lake. 

"Where  in  thutter  be  we  goin'  ?"  asked  Ephraim.  "Ef 
we  go  back  to  the  valley  we  will  be  in  jest  as  bad  scrape 
as  we  was." 


Into  the  Fight.  77 

Then  the  young  man  who  was  with  Pepita  and  her 
father  spoke  up  quickly: 

"I  know  one  way  to  get  out.  Let  me  have  the  paddle. 
Trust  tome." 

"Yes,  trust  to  Alvarez,"  urged  Pepita, 

Frank  did  not  hesitate. 

"Take  the  paddle,"  he  said.  "If  you  can  get  us  out 
of  this  trap,  you  shall  be  well  paid." 

Alvarez,  who  was  a  dark,  handsome  young  fellow,  took 
the  paddle  and  sent  the  boat  forward  with  powerful 
strokes.  All  at  once  he  told  them  to  put  out  the  torches, 
and  they  did  so,  none  too  soon,  for  two  shots  rang  out 
and  two  bullets  skipped  past. 

Still  Alvarez  pulled  forward  through  the  darkness.  It 
seemed  that  he  paddled  thus  for  more  than  thirty  minutes 
before  he  would  allow  them  to  light  the  torches  again. 

"There  is  two  channel  to  the  stream  that  run  from 
this  lake — two  stream,"  Alvarez  explained.  "One  run 
through  the  valley.  When  that  be  turned  the  other  run 
through  the  channel  under  the  mountain.  We  must  go 
through  that  channel.  It  is  the  only  way  to  get  out. 
We  may  do  it  all  right,  but  nobody  know  about  that.  No 
body  ever  go  through  that  way." 

In  a  short  time  they  came  to  a  strip  of  sandy  shore. 
Here  the  boat  touched,  Alvarez  got  out,  told  them  to  wait, 
passed  around  a  point  and  disappeared.  In  ten  minutes 
he  came  back. 

"I  have  turn  the  river  into  the  channel  through  the 
mountain,"  he  said.  "Now  we  try  it.  We  may  drown, 
we  may  escape.  Anyway,  it  be  better  than  to  fall  into 
the  hand  of  Black  Miguel." 

They  felt  a  strong  current  bearing  them  onward.  In  a 
short  time  they  came  to  where  a  stream  was  pouring  into 


78  Into  the  Fight. 

a  black  opening.  Into  this  opening  the  boat  shot  on  itl 
way  to  destruction,  or  to — what? 

It  was  morning,  the  sun  was  shining,  and  the  birds 
were  singing,  when  the  boat  came  out  where  the  stream 
poured  from  a  cavern  opening.  The  boat  contained  all 
the  fugitives,  and  they  shouted  with  gladness  when  they 
saw  the  light  of  day. 

They  had  escaped,  for  they  were  no  longer  within  the 
snare  of  the  bandits.  They  came  to  the  shore,  and  Al 
varez,  who  knew  the  country,  guided  them  to  a  place  of 
safety. 

Alvarez  was  in  love  with  Pepita.  He  had  been  one  of 
Black  Miguel's  men,  but  the  girl  had  won  his  heart,  and 
he  had  offered  to  save  her  from  the  outlaws.  She  had 
agreed  to  go  with  him  if  he  would  rescue  her  father,  who 
was  a  captive  in  Miguel's  power,  the  outlaw  being  paid 
for  keeping  him  by  the  Marques  Aguila. 

The  young  bandit  had  released  Senor  Matias,  choosing 
his  time  when  he  believed  the  outlaws  were  giving  their 
entire  attention  to  the  boys  in  the  valley.  But  he  had  not 
selected  a  favorable  moment,  and  the  trick  had  been  dis 
covered.  Then  the  bandits  pursued,  and  the  three  hurried 
to  the  lake,  hoping  to  find  the  boat  and  get  away.  The 
reader  knows  what  followed. 

Aided  by  friends,  Senor  Matias  and  the  little  party  suc 
ceeded  in  crossing  the  mountains  into  the  Argentine  Re 
public. 

But  Matias  declared  that  some  day  he  would  return  and 
recover  his  property,  which  was  a  rich  mine  located  in 
the  outlaws'  cave.  This  mine  he  had  originally  discov 
ered,  but  the  outlaws  were  working  it,  and  it  was  the 
sound  of  their  blasts  that  startled  the  boys  shortly  after 
they  entered  the  valley  of  mystery. 

"Aguila  shall  not  escape  me,"  declared  Senor  Matias. 


Into  the  Fight.  79 

"I  have  slipped  through  his  fingers,  though  he  told  me  a 
hundred  times  that  I  should  die  a  captive  in  my  own 
mine.  I  will  return,  and  he  shall  die." 

"I  hope  somebody  will  kill  Black  Miguel,"  grinned 
Alvarez.    "If  he  ever  sees  me  again  he  will  kill  me." 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE      FUGITIVES. 

The  Rio  Salado  is  formed  by  the  Desaguadero,  Dia 
mante,  Latuel  and  other  healthy  streams,  which  might 
themselves  be  called  small  rivers.  Above  Tripague  the 
Salado  is  broad  and  sluggish,  at  times  flowing  through 
dense  forests.  And  yet  it  finally  sinks  and  dies  in  the 
heart  of  the  pampas,  long  before  the  coast  is  reached, 
emptying  at  last  into  a  small  lake  that  has  no  known 
outlet. 

The  Salado  is  one  of  the  strange  freaks  of  nature  in 
South  America. 

Down  the  Salado,  near  the  close  of  a  beautiful  day,  a 
large,  flat-bottomed  boat  was  drifting.  The  boat  con 
tained  six  persons,  together  with  packs  and  weapons. 

Two  of  the  six  passengers  on  the  boat  were  Frank  and 
his  friend,  Ephraim. 

Of  the  remaining  four,  two  were  full-blood  Spaniards, 
one  being  a  man  with  white  hair  and  beard,  while  the 
other  was  young,  dashing  and  handsome  in  a  reckless, 
devil-may-care  way. 

The  older  man  was  Senor  Muerto  Matias,  now  a  fugi 
tive  from  Chili.  The  younger  man,  who  was  very  proud 
of  his  black  mustache,  was  Alvarez.  If  he  had  another 
name,  he  was  the  only  person  who  seemed  to  be  aware 
of  it. 

The  entire  party  had  succeeded  in  beating  back  the  out 
laws,  and  escaping,  after  which,  aided  by  friends  of  Senor 
Matias,  they  had  crossed  the  Andes  and  reached  Mendoza. 

But  they  were  followed.     Black  Miguel  was  furiout 


The  Fugitives.  81 

over  the  treachery  of  Alvarez,  and  Aguila  swore  that  the 
man  he  hated  should  not  escape.  The  two  came  to  Men- 
doza,  and  Matias  was  obliged  to  flee  for  his  life,  as  Aguila 
was  rich,  and  hired  scores  of  ruffians  to  do  his  command. 

Hearing  a  plot  to  assassinate  Senor  Matias  on  the  way 
to  Buenos  Ayres,  the  party  of  fugitives  resolved  to  cross 
the  pampas,  through  the  heart  of  the  Indian  country. 

So  we  find  them  floating  down  the  Salado  in  the  flat- 
bottomed  boat,  looking  for  a  place  to  land  and  encamp  for 
the  night. 

On  either  side  of  the  river  was  a  jungle  of  dense  ver 
dure,  flaming  with  gorgeous  flowers. 

"What  we  must  do  is  to  land  so  very  soon,"  said  Juan. 
"The  night  will  come  on  quick." 

"But  it  is  still  light — the  sun  is  up,"  said  Frank  Merri- 
well.  "Surely,  we  have  plenty  of  time." 

"By  this  you  should  know  that  the  sun  it  will  go  quick, 
and  the  night  it  will  come  at  once." 

A  cry  came  from  Alvarez,  who  was  in  the  prow  of  the 
boat. 

"There  is  the  place  by  which  we  can  land!"  he  ex 
claimed,  pointing  to  an  opening  amid  the  trees. 

In  was,  in  truth,  a  favorable  spot,  and  the  boat  was 
headed  toward  it.  In  a  few  moments  the  shore  was 
reached,  and  then,  before  they  could  disembark,  the  day 
passed  into  night.  There  was  no  twilight.  The  sun 
seemed  to  drop  beneath  the  horizon,  and  darkness  came 
on  at  once. 

"What  to  you  did  I  tell?"  was  Juan's  triumphant  ex 
clamation.  "Here  in  the  forest  it  is  to  be  all  the  time  like 
this." 

Wood  was  gathered  and  a  fire  lighted.  Then  they 
brought  the  packs  from  the  boat,  which  was  drawn  up 
and  made  secure. 


82  The  Fugitives. 

All  at  once  they  were  startled  by  hearing  what  seemed 
to  be  the  tolling  of  a  church  bell  near  at  hand. 

"Great  gosh !"  exclaimed  Ephraim  Gallup.  "We  must 
be  right  nigh  some  taown.  Who'd  thought  it !" 

"It  must  be  a  town  is  close  at  hand,"  said  Frank,  "for 
there  cannot  be  a  solitary  church  here  in  the  woods.  The 
bell  is  tolling  vespers." 

"That  is  not  any  bell,"  laughed  Juan. 

"Not  a  bell?"  cried  Frank.  "Of  course  it  is  a  bell! 
What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"What  it  is  that  I  do  speak.     That  is  not  any  bell." 

"Then  what  is  it?" 

"It  is  one  bird." 

"A  bird  ?    Oh,  say,  Juan,  that's  too  much !" 

"It  is  the  truth  I  do  speak,  Frank — it  is  the  convent 
bird.  The  English  do  call  it  the  bell  bird.  I  never  hear 
it  before  to  sing  when  the  sun  have  gone  down.  It  is 
stop  now.  It  is  not  some  time  often  to  be  found  so  far 
south.  On  the  Amazon  it  is  very  many  to  be  found." 

"But  a  bird,  Juan — a  bird !  Why,  you  must  be  joking ! 
No  bird  could  make  a  sound  like  that !" 

"Not  by  a  gol  dern  sight !"  put  in  the  Vermonter,  wag 
ging  his  head.  "Yeou  can't  fool  us,  Wand,  old  boy." 

But  the  Chilian  lad  insisted  that  he  had  spoken  the 
truth,  and  he  told  them  something  of  the  remarkable  bird 
that  had  deceived  them.  From  the  top  of  the  bird's  bill, 
he  said,  there  grows  a  curious  fleshy  protuberance,  similar 
to  that  of  a  turkey  gobbler.  Unlike  the  turkey's,  however, 
this  is  hollow,  and  sparsely  covered  with  hairs.  The  tube, 
which  is  black,  connects  with  the  interior  of  the  throat, 
and  it  is  through  it  that  the  bird  makes  the  sonorous  sound 
from  which  it  takes  its  name.  When  in  use,  the  tube 
stands  upright  from  the  bill,  and,  as  it  is  an  inch  to  two 
inches  in  length,  has  the  appearance  of  a  horn.  From  this 


The  Fugitives.  83 

the  bird  takes  another  of  its  many  names,  the  "rhinoceros 
bird." 

This  piece  of  information  was  very  interesting  to  Frank 
and  Ephraim,  the  latter  observing: 

"I'd  like  to  ketch  one  uv  them  birds  an'  take  him  home. 
He'd  make  more  fun  than  a  bar'l  uv  monkeys  in  aour 
taown." 

One  of  the  packs  had  been  opened,  and  Pepita  was  pre 
paring  supper  for  them,  having  spread  a  cloth  on  the 
ground  near  the  fire.  Soon  she  called  them,  and  they  sat 
down  on  the  ground  about  the  cloth. 

Senor  Matias  was  very  quiet.  He  seemed  to  be  think 
ing.  In  fact,  he  seemed  to  be  thinking  nearly  all  the  time 
since  his  escape  from  the  power  of  his  enemy. 

Pepita  laughed  and  chatted,  Alvarez  seemed  well  satis 
fied,  Ephraim  grinned  and  made  some  drawling  observa 
tion,  while  Frank  was  full  of  life  and  animation. 

A  stranger  would  never  have  fancied  they  were  fugi 
tives,  for  they  seemed  more  like  a  party  of  pleasure-seek 
ers,  who  were  bent  on  having  a  good  time. 

All  were  hungry,  and  they  ate  heartily.  When  supper 
was  over,  Pepita  and  Alvarez  washed  the  dishes  at  the 
river's  edge,  while  Senor  Matias  rolled  and  smoked  a 
cigarette,  still  silent  and  thoughtful. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  chatted. 

"Soon  ez  I  kin  git  to  Bonus  Airy  I'm  goin'  to  write 
ag'in  to  Hiram,"  said  the  Yankee  boy.  "It's  kinder  mean 
to  treat  a  brother  ther  way  I  have  him.  There  he  is 
makin'  heaps  uv  money  in  Chilly,  an'  he  sent  me  money  to 
pay  my  passage  there,  an'  I've  never  seen  him  yit,  as  he 
was  away  when  I  arriv'.  You  came  along,  an'  I  went  off 
with  you  on  ther  jump.  Sence  that  I  hain't  bin  able  to  git 
back  to  Valparaiso,  an'  I  don't  know  when  I  will  git  back 
there." 

"Why,  you  know  you  have  agreed  to  travel  with  me," 


84  The  Fugitives. 

said  Frank.  "The  will  of  my  eccentric  uncle  provided 
that  I  might  take  along  a  schoolmate  as  a  traveling  com 
panion,  besides  my  guardian.  I  have  told  you  how  I  met 
Juan  in  San  Francisco,  and  came  to  South  America  with 
him,  when  he  had  interested  me  in  his  wrongs.  Professor 
Scotch,  my  guardian,  will  wait  to  hear  from  me  again,  I 
think,  and  then  he  will  join  me  somewhere  by  appoint 
ment.  Hans  Dunnerwust  was  the  first  to  travel  around 
with  me,  and  he  got  enough  of  it  while  we  were  in 
Mexico,  where  we  nearly  lost  our  lives  at  the  hands  of  the 
bandits.  Barney  Mulloy  tried  it  a  while,  but  went  back  to 
school,  and  now  I  do  not  see  but  it  is  your  turn." 

"Wai,  Frank,  gol  dern  me  ef  I  don't  do  it !  Hiram  kin 
kick,  but  I  have  got  a  good  chance  to  see  some  uv  the 
world,  an'  I'll  see  it,  ur  bu'st  a  suspender !" 

"You  may  write  your  brother  to  that  effect." 

"I  will,  by  gum !" 

"When  you  are  tired  of  traveling,  I  will  pay  your  way 
back  to  Chili." 

"That's  fair.  Where  be  yeou  goin'  after  we  git  to 
Bonus  Airy?" 

"I  have  not  yet  decided.  In  the  course  of  time  I  mean 
to  visit  every  country  on  the  face  of  the  earth." 

"Great  gosh !  That'll  take  ye  more'n  nine  hundred  an' 
seventeen  year !" 

"Oh,  not  quite  so  long  as  that,  for  the  introduction  of 
steam  and  electricity  has  made  this  world  a  very  small 
place." 

"Git  aout!  Haow  could  steam  and  'lectricity  make  it 
small?" 

Frank  laughed. 

"I  am  speaking  figuratively,"  he  said.  "A  person  can 
travel  around  the  world  now  in  such  a  brief  space  of  time 
that  it  makes  the  old  globe  seem  very  small." 


The  Fugitives.  85 

"Oh,  that's  what  yeou  mean !  Wai,  I  believe  in  sayin* 
things  jest  ez  I  mean  'em,  by  gum !" 

Pepita  and  Alvarez  came  up  from  the  river  laughing. 
Matias  was  still  smoking.  The  fire  smoldered,  sending 
out  a  dull,  reddish,  half  light. 

Pepita  had  secured  a  mandolin  in  Mendoza,  and  this 
she  now  brought  out  and  put  in  tune.  Then  she  played 
and  sang  a  Spanish  love  song,  in  which  Alvarez  joined 
when  it  came  to  the  chorus. 

It  was  a  scene  of  peace  and  happiness,  but  there  was 
a  black  shadow  hovering  over  the  bivouac  on  the  Rio 
Salado. 

The  fire  sank  low.  Slumbering  forms  lay  about  it, 
wrapped  in  blankets.  With  his  back  against  a  tree,  look 
ing  like  a  bulging  portion  of  the  trunk,  stood  the  guard. 
All  about  was  silence,  save  for  the  continuous  droning  of 
nocturnal  insects. 

The  river  flowed  on  sluggishly  and  reluctantly  to  its 
fate,  in  the  heart  of  the  pampas,  seeming  to  dread  its 
doom.  There  were  stars  in  the  sky,  and  a  slice  of  a  moon 
low  down,  but  the  shadows  were  deep  in  that  forest  nook 
on  the  river's  bank. 

Somewhere  from  the  river  came  a  "plunk,"  as  if  an 
alligator,  or  some  other  creature,  had  dropped  from  the 
bank  into  the  water.  An  ember  on  the  fire  snapped  in 
two  with  a  crackling  sound,  sending  out  a  glow  for  a 
moment.  But  even  that  gleam  of  orange  light  did  not 
show  a  pair  of  burning,  deadly  eyes  that  were  searching 
the  darkness. 

The  guard  did  not  stir.  For  a  long  time  he  had  stood 
thus,  with  his  back  to  the  tree.  His  head  was  bowed  on 
his  breast.  At  last  his  hat  dropped  off  and  fell  at  his 
feet. 

Still,  the  guard  did  not  stir.  He  slept  as  he  stood,  and 
tiie  falling  of  the  hat  had  not  aroused  him. 


86  The  Fugitives. 

There  was  a  stir  in  the  shadows — a  sudden,  sweeping 
movement. 

A  ray  of  light  from  the  embers  glinted  on  something 
that  flashed  like  a  bright  bird  through  the  air. 

Chug !     A  sound  of  something  striking  and  piercing. 

The  guard  awoke,  with  a  start,  and  a  low  cry,  catching 
up  his  rifle  and  looking  around  for  some  moving  thing,  but 
seeing  nothing,  hearing  nothing. 

Then  another  cry  came  from  his  lips.  He  had  felt 
something  strike  his  shoulder,  and  now  he  found  himself 
pinned  to  the  tree. 

This  second  cry  aroused  two  of  the  sleepers.  Ephraim 
Gallup  started  up,  crying: 

"Frank— Frank  Merriwell!    What's  the  matter?" 

Juan  said  something  in  Spanish. 

"Come  here,"  called  Frank,  who  was  on  guard.  "One 
of  you  start  up  the  fire,  the  other  come  here." 

Juan  threw  some  light  wood  on  the  fire,  while  Ephraim 
hurried  to  Frank.  The  others  were  aroused,  the  ques 
tions  were  asked. 

"What  is  the  trouble?"  demanded  Ephraim,  as  he 
reached  Frank's  side.  "Is  there  any 

"Look  here!  I  am  held  to  this  tree  by  my  sleeve! 
Something  has  wounded  my  shoulder !" 

"Great  gum !" 

"See  what  it  is.     Set  me  clear,  if  you  can." 

The  fire  caught  in  the  dry  bits  of  resinous  wood  and 
flared  up,  showing  Ephraim  something  that  held  Merri 
well  to  the  tree.  He  grasped  it  and  drew  it  forth. 

"Give  it  to  me !" 

Frank  took  it  from  the  fingers  of  his  friend  and  strode 
toward  the  fire.  The  others  gathered  around  him,  and 
he  exhibited  the  object. 

Cries  of  horror  and  fear  came  from  the  lips  of  Senoc 
Matias,  Juan,  and  Alvarez.  They  drew  back. 


The  Fugitives.  87 

"Well,  this  is  a  queer  knife!"  exclaimed  Frank,  as  he 
stared  at  the  object  in  his  hand.  "Black  handle,  with 
hand-guard,  and  a  blood-red  blade,  tipped  with  green.  I 
never  saw  anything  like  it  before.  It  is  a  genuine  curi 
osity." 

"Where  did  it  touch-a  you?"  cried  Juan.  "On  de 
shoulder  ?  Let  me  look-a !  Keep-a  still !" 

When  the  Chilian  boy  was  excited  his  English  was  of 
a  decidedly  broken  sort.  With  frantic  haste,  he  now 
tore  off  Frank's  coat,  ripped  open  the  sleeve  of  Frank's 
shirt,  and  looked  at  the  exposed  shoulder. 

Sefior  Matias  and  Alvarez  looked  on,  talking  swiftly  in 
Spanish,  while  Pepita  stared  in  horrified  silence. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  wondered  why  there  was  so  much 
agitation  exhibited  over  the  nature  of  a  wound  which  was 
shown  at  first  exposure  to  be  a  mere  scratch. 

"Oh,  that  won't  hurt  ye  none,  Frank,"  said  the  Ver- 
monter.  "It's  no  wuss  than  a  pin  scratch." 

"Won't  hurt-a  him?"  cried  Juan,  wildly.  "Dat  be  de 
'snake  knife !'  It  be  deadly !  Dat  be  de  snake  knife !" 

"Wai,  what's  the  snake  knife?" 

"Poison,  poison,  poison !" 

"What's  that  ?"  shouted  Frank,  starting  back.  "Do  you 
mean  to  say  this  knife  is  poison?" 

"Si,  Frank." 

"And  I  have  been  cut  with  it !     Is  it  deadly  ?" 

"Sure  death !" 

"Great  gosh-all-hemlock !"  gurgled  Ephraim  Gallup, 
horror-stricken. 

Frank  did  not  seem  so  agitated  as  were  the  others. 

"Is  there  no  antidote  ?"  he  calmly  asked. 

"None,"  was  the  answer. 

"Then  I  may  as  well  make  my  will  without  delay." 

Juan  was  examining  the  deadly  knife,  and  he  followed 
it  by  taking  a  look  at  the  slight  scratch  on  Frank's  shoul- 


88  The  Fugitives. 

der.  Something  like  an  exclamation  of  hope  came  fro.'-n 
his  lips. 

"What  have  you  discovered  ?"  asked  Merriwell,  quietly. 

"Dere  be  one  chance-a!"  shouted  the  Chilian  boy. 
"Look-a  here!  It  was  not  de  point  of  de  knife-a  dat 
touch  you !" 

"Well?" 

"See,  it  was  de  side  of  de  blade-a !" 

"Yes,  I  can  see  the  bit  of  fresh  blood  where  it  touched. 
What  of  that  ?  Is  there  any  difference  between " 

"De  poison  be  on  the  point-a !  Dere  be  no  poison  on  de 
side  of  de  blade-a !  De  point-a  not  touch  Frank !" 

"Caramba!  So  that  is!"  cried  Senor  Matias,  who  was 
also  looking  at  the  knife.  "One  chance  there  may  be  the 
boy  for.  If  no  poison  there  be  on  the  edge,  then  he  is 
save." 

"Well,  that  is  certainly  some  relief!"  laughed  Frank, 
nervously.  "I  will  confess  that  I  have  no  fancy  for  cash 
ing  my  chips  just  now,  as  a  gambler  in  the  United  States 
would  observe." 

"One  bit  of  poison  of  de  edge  of  de  blade-a  be  enough," 
swiftly  said  Juan.  "If  dere  be  none  dere,  then  you  all 
right.  Pepita,  she  will  do  up  de  wound-a." 

"Why,  if  there  is  no  poison  in  it,  it  is  not  worth  doing 
up;  if  there  is  poison  in  it,  it  is  not  worth  while  doing 
it  up." 

But  Juan  insisted  that  Pepita  should  do  up  the  wound, 
and  Frank  did  not  insist  on  declining  to  have  it  ban 
daged. 

Juan  took  a  brand  from  the  fire  and  went  into  the 
woods,  from  where  he  soon  returned  with  a  green  leaf, 
and,  having  washed  the  blood  from  the  wound  at  the  river, 
this  leaf  was  bound  on  it. 

"Now,"  said  Frank,  "I  suppose  I'll  have  to  wait  to 
see  if  I  drop  dead  or  continue  to  live." 


The  Fugitives.  89 

"If  there  is  poison  in  the  wound,  your  arm  and  shoul 
der  will  to  swell  commence  within  thirty  minute,"  said 
Senor  Matias.  "But  now  it  is  that  we  should  know  how 
you  come  to  have  so  near  escape  from  getting  the  knife  in 
your  heart." 

"I  don't  know,"  admitted  Frank.  "I  must  have  fallen 
asleep  as  I  leaned  against  that  tree.  The  last  I  remember 
I  was  listening  to  the  song  of  the  insects  in  the  forest, 
and  then  it  seemed  that  the  very  next  instant  I  felt  some 
thing  touch  my  shoulder." 

"And  nothing  you  saw  of  the  one  who  struck  the  knife 
at  you  ?" 

"It  could  not  have  been  struck  at  me;  it  must  have 
been  thrown." 

"No,  no !     This  is  not  the  knife  to  throw." 

"Still,  father,"  said  Juan,  "you  should  do  well  to  re 
member  that  the  snake  knife  is  nearly  always  thrown." 

"That  is  true." 

"What  about  this  snake  knife  ?"  demanded  Frank. 

"It  is  use  by  the  Indians  when  they  have  some  enemy 
that  very  much  they  do  hate.  A  prick  the  poison  point  of 
sure  death  to  come  must  bring." 

"But  I  have  no  enemy  among  the  Indians  who  hates  me 
very  much." 

"The  Indians  were  first  to  use  it ;  now  some  time  it  be 
used  by  half-bloods  and  by  the  ruffians  of  a  low  nature." 

"But  still  I  do  not  understand  it,  for  I  know  not  what 
enemy  I  have  who  should  use  the  snake  knife  on  me." 

"You  for  some  one  else  may  have  been  mistaken,"  said 
Alvarez.  "It  may  to  be  that  the  one  who  sent  the  knife 
thought  you  myself  was.  Ha!  It  may  to  be  that  some 
deadly  enemy  of  mine  have  followed  me  here !  I  do  not 
like  that  to  think  of !" 

Indeed,  the  young  Chilian  became  very  nervous  and  ex- 


9o  The  Fugitives. 

cited  all  at  once,  seeming  to  fear  that  another  knife  might 
come  whistling  out  of  the  darkness  and  reach  him. 

A  feeling  of  dread  and  horror  came  over  the  entire 
party,  and,  although  the  shadows  were  full  of  terrors, 
they  shrank  from  the  glow  of  light  made  by  the  revived 
fire. 

Ephraim  Gallup  wiped  beads  of  cold  perspiration  from 
his  face. 

"This  is  ruther  too  interesting  for  me!"  he  said.  "I 
don't  like  it,  by  thutter !" 

"Black  Miguel  may  have  followed  us  here !"  said  Senor 
Matias,  with  increasing  excitement.  "Before  morning 
should  to  come  the  snake  knife  might  reach  us  all !" 

This  seemed  to  add  to  the  terror  of  Alvarez,  and  the 
entire  party  was  in  the  greatest  consternation. 

"Get  into  the  boat  everything,"  directed  Matias.  "It  is 
a  move  we  will  make  without  delay." 

So  everything  was  packed  into  the  boat,  with  great 
haste,  and  then  they  got  in  themselves,  pushed  out,  and 
went  floating  down  the  Rio  Salado,  keeping  well  in  mid 
stream,  for  fear  of  the  sudden  death  that  seemed  to  lurk  in 
the  black  shadows  of  the  night-enshrouded  forest. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE     GAUCHO. 

Morning  found  them  still  floating  down  the  river,  but 
the  forests  had  grown  thin,  and  they  were  now  being  car 
ried  out  into  the  heart  of  the  pampas. 

Frank  was  still  alive.  In  fact,  his  shoudder  had  given 
him  no  trouble  at  all,  which  indicated  beyond  a  doubt  that 
he  had  not  been  touched  by  the  poison. 

Frank  was  thankful,  for  he  realized  he  had  had  a  very 
narrow  escape  from  a  most  horrible  death. 

"I'll  keep  the  snake  knife  as  a  relic,"  he  said.  "When 
I  settle  down,  I'll  have  a  houseful  of  curiosities  gathered 
from  every  part  of  the  world,  and  this  will  not  be  the  least 
among  them." 

The  sun  came  up  with  a  jump,  and  the  night  changed 
to  day  in  a  most  astonishingly  brief  space  of  time.  Birds 
sang  in  the  groves  along  the  river.  Pepita,  who  had 
slept  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  watched  over  by  Alvarez, 
also  sang. 

The  sunlight  gave  Senor  Matias  new  life  and  courage. 
He  smiled,  and  addressed  his  companions  as  his  chil 
dren. 

The  forests  grew  thinner  yet.  There  was  foliage  along 
the  river,  but  the  open  pampas  lay  beyond. 

They  were  discussing  the  advisability  of  halting  for 
breakfast,  when,  of  a  sudden,  Juan  uttered  a  cry  of  joy. 

"Look!"  he  exclaimed,  pointing.  "The  hut!  See  it? 
It  is  the  home  of  some  gaucho." 

Through  an  opening  in  the  foliage  they  could  see  a 


92  The  Gaucho. 

rude  hut,  that  was  thatched  with  long  grass.  From  a 
point  close  to  the  hut  arose  a  column  of  blue  smoke. 

"The  gauchos  are  wild  and  reckless  men,"  said  Frank, 
who  had  read  much  of  them. 

"Wild  and  reckless,  perhaps,"  confessed  Juan;  "but 
they  all  treat  you  right-a  if  you  take  care  not  to  offend. 
Show  you  feel  no  better  than  they  do,  be  polite,  and  they 
use  you  right." 

"Then,  we  had  better  stop  here.  Look — there,  beyond 
the  hut  are  horses  feeding.  This  may  be  the  best  point  to 
leave  the  river  and  strike  across  the  pampas.  We  may 
be  able  to  buy  horses  of  the  man  who  lives  there." 

So  the  boat  was  guided  to  the  shore,  and  three  of  the 
party — Frank,  Ephraim,  and  Senor  Matias — approached 
the  hut.  As  they  came  near,  a  man  came  out  through  the 
low  doorway,  smoking  a  short-stemmed  pipe.  He  stopped 
abruptly  when  he  saw  them,  staring  in  astonishment. 

He  was  dressed  in  a  singular  manner.  His  hat  was  a 
wide-brimmed  affair,  and  his  woolen  shirt  was  open  in 
front,  exposing  his  throat  and  hairy  breast.  Around  his 
waist  was  a  belt  that  held  a  knife  with  a  blood-stained 
blade,  that  was  at  least  a  foot  in  length.  The  handle  was 
of  gold  and  silver,  finely  chased. 

At  first  glance,  the  stranger  seemed  to  have  on  brown 
zouave  trousers,  with  white  leggins  at  the  ankles,  but  a 
closer  inspection  showed  they  were  rather  close-fitting 
cotton  drawers,  instead  of  trousers,  and,  in  addition,  his 
legs  were  clothed  from  the  ankles  up  with  a  length — say 
three  yards — of  wide  brown  cotton  goods. 

This  stuff  bagged  down  between  the  man's  legs,  mak 
ing  him  look  very  ridiculous  to  Frank,  who  repressed  a 
smile  with  difficulty. 

On  the  man's  feet  were  boots,  made  from  the  skin  of 
the  legs  of  a  colt.  When  he  walked,  he  had  a  nautical 


The  Gaucho.  9> 

roll,  like  a  Nantucket  whaler,  fresh  from  a  three  years' 
cruise  in  the  Pacific. 

After  the  man  had  stared  some  moments,  he  scratched 
his  chin  through  his  thick  beard,  and  exclaimed : 

"Twist  my  buttons !" 

The  words  gave  Frank  and  Ephraim  a  shock,  and  the 
latter  cried : 

"Gol  dern  my  hide !     He  speaks  United  States !" 

"That's  what  he  does !"  said  Frank,  delightedly.  "We're 
in  luck !" 

The  astonishment  of  the  man  seemed  increased. 

"Do  I  hear  right,  or  do  I  not?"  he  mumbled.  "Shiver 
my  timbers  if  I  can  tell !  Do  you  boys  talk  the  white 
man's  language?" 

"We  speak  English,"  assured  Frank,  advancing ;  "and  it 
seems  that  you  do  the  same,  which  gives  us  unbounded 
pleasure." 

"Well,  dash  my  toplights !"  shouted  the  stranger,  rush 
ing  forward  and  grasping  Frank's  hand.  "I  dunno  who 
you  are,  but  I'm  thundering  glad  to  see  you!  I  ain't 
heard  anything  but  Spanish  and  Injun  talk  for  a  year  and 
a  half." 

He  gave  Frank's  hand  a  crushing  pressure,  and  then 
grasped  Ephraim's  hand,  and  worked  the  Yankee  boy's 
arm  like  a  pump  handle.  Looking  on  from  a  distance, 
one  must  have  thought  it  a  meeting  of  old  friends.  An 
expression  of  satisfaction  settled  on  the  face  of  Senor  Ma- 
tias. 

"My  name's  Smith,"  said  the  stranger — "just  plain  John 
Smith,  of  Salem,  Massachusetts.  That  is,  I  was  from 
Salem,  but  now  and  forever  after  I  hail  from  South  Amer 
ica  and  the  pampas." 

Frank  introduced  himself,  Senor  Matias,  and  Ephraim. 
Smith  shook  hands  all  around  once  more. 

"Well,  it  is  good  to  turn  my  lamps  on  a  couple  of  gen- 


94  The  Gaucho. 

uine  Yankees  from  Yankeeland,"  declared  Smith,  heartily. 
"Thought  I  didn't  care  about  ever  seeing  anybody  again, 
thought  I  was  a  regular  old  barnacle  stuck  fast  here  on 
the  pampas ;  but  it  makes  me  laugh  all  over  from  stem  to 
stern  to  see  you  youngsters." 

He  invited  them  to  come  around  where  he  was  cooking, 
which  proved  to  be  just  around  the  corner  of  the  hut.  A 
little  fire  was  burning  in  a  stone  fireplace,  and  a  pot  of 
mate,  the  tea  herb  of  Paraguay,  was  bubbling  on  some 
coals. 

Smith  questioned  them,  and  Frank  explained,  as  briefly 
as  possible,  how  they  came  to  be  there. 

Then  Frank  asked  Smith  if  he  had  horses  to  sell,  and 
if  he  would  guide  them  across  the  pampas. 

"Well,"  said  the  strange  man,  after  some  hesitation, 
"I've  got  plenty  of  hosses,  and  I  can  act  as  pilot  for  ye ; 
but  it's  against  my  principle  to  take  a  job  of  any  kind 
that's  at  all  like  work.  Here  in  the  desert  no  man  has  to 
work,  and  all  are  free  to  go  and  come  as  they  please. 
The  gaucho  is  the  free  lance  of  the  pampas.  He  passes 
the  day  in  galloping  easily  across  the  desert,  with  occa 
sional  mad  dashes  here  and  there,  as  he  starts  up  game 
of  some  kind.  He  stops  where  night  overtakes  him,  and 
he  eats  such  food  as  he  may  find.  It  is  a  life  such  as  no 
man  may  find  elsewhere  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  I  have 
been  a  sailor  for  twenty-three  years,  and  a  gaucho  for  four 
years.  Give  me  the  life  of  a  gaucho ;  the  sea  no  longer 
has  any  attraction  for  this  chicken.  Here  there  is  no 
master  or  mate  over  me ;  I  am  captain,  mate,  and  crew, 
and  I  run  the  ship  just  as  I  please,  twist  my  buttons  if  I 
don't !" 

"How  did  you  happen  to  change  from  sailor  to 
gaucho?"  asked  Frank. 

"Got  shipwrecked  on  the  coast  of  Patagonia,  and  fell  in 
jvith  some  gauchos.  That's  all." 


The  Gaucho.  95 

"And  you  think  you  will  never  leave  the  life  you  are 
now  leading?" 

"Not  till  I  leave  it  for  the  last  cruise  to  that  port  from 
which  no  sailor  ever  comes  back." 

"Well,  that  is  strange,  but  I  suppose  there  must  be 
something  fascinating  about  the  life.  Still,  you  are  much 
alone — you  are  practically  a  hermit." 

"Oh,  no,  mate,  I'm  not  alone.  I  have  my  bosses  and 
other  critters.  I  have  all  the  wild  things  of  the  pampas 
for  companions.  Shiver  my  timbers,  I  have  company 
enough !" 

Then  Smith  seemed  to  remember  that  they  had  spoken 
of  the  others  who  were  in  the  boat,  and  he  said : 

"Bring  up  the  rest  of  the  crew,  my  hearties.  They're 
all  welcome  here.  Bring  'em  up,  and  we'll  have  break 
fast,  such  as  it  is." 

So  Frank  hastened  down  to  the  river,  and  brought  the 
others  up  to  the  gaucho's  hut,  where  Smith  was  introduced 
to  them  all,  whereupon  he  regarded  Pepita  with  open  ad 
miration,  exclaiming: 

"Dash  my  toplights,  if  that  ain't  a  trim-built  little  clip 
per  !  And  she's  the  daughter  of  Senyaw  Matias  ?  Well, 
senyaw,  you  are  to  be  congratulated.  Now  that  I  have 
seen  her,  I'll  stick  to  this  crew,  through  fair  weather  and 
foul,  till  we  reach  the  port  you're  bound  for.  You  may 
lay  to  that,  my  hearties." 

So  it  was  settled,  although  Alvarez  scowled  a  little  on 
hearing  Smith  speak  so  plainly  in  praise  of  Pepita's 
charms. 

A  short  time  later  all  were  eating  breakfast  together  in 
the  open  air,  chatting  socially. 

The  flat-bottomed  boat  was  abandoned  at  that  point, 
and  the  fugitives  took  to  the  pampas. 

They  decided  to  rest  a  day  at  that  point,  all  terrors 
seeming  to  be  left  behind  them  in  the  dark  forest. 


96  The  Gaucho. 

Smith  himself  was  restless,  and  Frank  longed  to  hunt 
upon  the  pampas  with  a  genuine  gaucho.  That  after 
noon  Frank,  Ephraim,  and  Smith  started  out  to  see  what 
they  could  find  in  the  way  of  sport. 

All  were  mounted  on  fine  horses. 

The  two  boys  were  armed  with  Winchester  rifles  and 
Smith  &  Wesson  revolvers. 

Smith's  consisted  of  a  horsehair  lasso,  called  a  bolas, 
and  the  long-bladed  knife  with  the  silver  handle,  which  he 
constantly  wore  in  his  belt. 

"Where  are  your  weapons?"  asked  Frank,  as  they 
started  out,  having  waved  a  farewell  to  the  others,  who 
were  gathered  near  the  hut. 

"Here,"  answered  the  Yankee  gaucho,  as  he  touched  the 
lasso,  the  bolas,  and  the  knife. 

"But  do  you  not  carry  a  rifle  or  revolver?" 

"What's  the  use?" 

"I  should  think  you'd  want  something  to  kill  with." 

"What's  the  matter  with  the  knife  or  the  bolas,  mate?" 

"I  do  not  know  much  about  the  bolas,  but  I  should  not 
think  you'd  be  able  to  get  near  enough  to  your  game  to 
kill  it  with  the  knife." 

"The  lasso  helps  me  get  near  enough.  As  for  a  rifle, 
dash  my  toplights  if  it  ain't  more  bother  than  it's  worth ! 
I  can  kill  at  sixty  yards  with  the  bolas,  and  that's  range 
enough." 

"Sixty  yards  ?"  cried  Frank,  incredulously. 

"Cocksure,  mate." 

"Wai,  I  be  gol  derned  ef  I  wouldn't  like  to  see  yeou 
do  it !"  cried  Ephraim.  "I  uster  read  abaout  them  bollys 
in  the  jography,  but  I  never  took  much  stock  in  such 
yarns." 

Smith  laughed. 

"Wait  till  we  sight  something  worth  cruising  after,  and 
then  I'll  show  you  what  it  is  I  can  do  with  the  bolas.  Up 


The  Gaucho.  97 

here  the  ostriches  are  not  so  plenty  as  they  are  farther 
south,  but  we  sometimes  see  one  of  'em.  If  we  do  to-day, 
I'll  break  his  back  with  the  bolas." 

The  pampas  grass  was  thick  about  the  feet  of  their 
horses,  and  the  wind  blew  strong  from  the  southwest. 
The  sun  was  shining  brightly. 

The  boys  felt  a  wild  thrill  of  freedom  as  they  galloped 
away  across  the  plain.  They  took  deep  breaths  of  the  air, 
which  seemed  to  send  the  blood  coursing  like  wine  through 
their  veins.  They  began  to  understand  the  wild  delight 
of  a  free  life  in  the  desert. 

Smith  had  eyes  like  a  hawk.  Now  and  then  he  would 
see  some  small  animal  skulking  swiftly  away  through  the 
grass,  and  he  would  dash  after  it  with  the  bolas,  much  to 
the  amazement  of  Ephraim. 

A  herd  of  deer  was  started.  Yelling  like  a  maniac, 
Smith  went  after  them.  But  they  were  out  of  range  so 
far  as  the  lasso  or  bolas  were  concerned,  and  they  would 
have  escaped  with  ease  but  for  Frank,  who  brought  down 
two  of  them  while  riding  at  top  speed. 

It  was  the  gaucho's  turn  to  be  amazed. 

"Look  here,  boy,"  he  said,  as  he  reined  in  his  horse  and 
stared  down  at  one  of  the  deer,  "you're  either  a  howling 
wonder  with  a  rifle,  or  you're  the  luckiest  Jack  I  ever  saw 
do  shootin' !" 

Frank  smiled. 

"You  have  been  showing  us  tricks,  and  it  was  our  turn 
to  show  you  something.  I  will  acknowledge  they  were 
lucky  shots,  but  hardly  accidental.  Now  you  see  the  use 
of  a  rifle." 

"It  kills,"  confessed  Smith ;  "but  did  you  feel  the  bullet 
sink  into  the  flesh  ?" 

"Of  course  not." 

"Then  you  missed  all  the  fun  of  the  thing,  twist  my  but 
tons  if  you  didn't!  When  I  throw  a  creature  with  the 


98  The  Gaucho. 

lasso,  I  feel  the  strain.  When  I  drive  my  knife  home,  I 
feel  it  sink  through  flesh.  No,  no,  boy ;  no  rifle  for  me." 

"Every  man  to  his  taste." 

"What  be  we  goin'  to  do  with  these  deer  ?"  asked  Eph- 
raim,  with  anxiety.  "Kin  we  tote  'em  along  ?" 

"Tote  nothing,"  said  Smith.  "We  don't  want  to  be 
bothered  with  any  cargo  on  this  cruise." 

"Will  we  find  'em  here  if  we  leave  'em  ?" 

"I  should  say  not !  Look — yonder,  high  in  the  air,  you 
may  see  a  tiny  speck  swinging  around  and  around.  Can 
you  see  it  ?" 

After  some  difficulty,  the  boys  saw  the  speck  indicated, 
which  seemed  to  be  swinging  in  a  circle  high  up  against 
the  blue  of  the  northeastern  sky. 

"That  is  a  vulture,"  explained  the  gaucho.  "Some  say 
the  vulture  can  smell  a  dead  creature  on  the  desert  for 
scores  of  miles.  It  has  wonderful  eyes.  It  can  see  much 
farther  than  it  can  be  seen  with  a  powerful  glass.  That 
one  has  seen  the  fall  of  these  deer." 

"An' it  will  come  here?" 

"Look,  it  is  circling  no  longer — it  is  coming." 

"Wai,  hang  the  critter!  It  can't  hev  them  deer.  I'm 
hungry  fer  deer  meat,  by  gum !" 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  Frank. 

"Tote  them  deer  back  to  the  hut." 

"You  can't  find  the  way." 

"Yes,  I  kin." 

A  long  discussion  followed,  and  Ephraim  insisted  in 
doing  as  he  liked.  At  length,  Smith  said  he  would  direct 
Ephraim  so  he  could  not  fail  to  find  his  way  by  the  aid  of 
the  sun. 

The  hindquarters  of  both  deer  were  removed,  and  slung 
on  either  side  of  the  Yankee  lad's  horse,  after  which  Smith 
gave  Ephraim  minute  directions,  and  the  Vermonter 
started  for  the  river  and  the  home  of  the  gaucho. 


The  Gaucho.  99 

Frank  saw  him  depart,  with  some  misgivings,  but  Eph- 
raim  seemed  to  feel  certain  he  could  find  the  river,  and 
Smith  said  he  would  be  able  to  do  so  without  trouble. 

Then  Frank  and  the  gaucho  rode  on. 

"We  will  look  for  ostriches,"  he  said. 

At  last  the  grass  grew  thinner,  and  finally  they  found 
themselves  entering  a  desert  of  gray  and  yellowish  sand, 
with  red  and  brown  pebbles  everywhere.  Knolls  and 
ridges  arose  before  them.  On  every  side  were  scattered 
clumps  of  stiff,  gaunt,  gray  bushes. 

Riding  onward  into  this  desert  land,  and  mounting  to 
the  crest  of  a  high  ridge,  it  seemed  that  the  same  knolls 
and  ridges,  and  the  same  clumps  of  bushes  had  moved 
onward  with  them.  Ahead,  to  the  right,  the  left,  behind 
them,  everywhere,  the  landscape  presented  the  same  mo 
notonous  appearance. 

Into  this  desert  they  rode.  The  wind  blew  strong  in 
their  faces,  but  it  did  not  whistle,  nor  did  it  make  a  rustle 
in  the  bushes.  The  faint  chirp  of  the  desert  sparrow  did 
not  reach  the  ears  of  the  two  horsemen.  A  flitting  desert 
hare  was  not  seen.  All  seemed  silent,  monotonous,  life 
less. 

Frank  began  to  feel  insignificant.  He  seemed  lost  and 
lonely  there  in  the  desert,  for  all  of  his  companions. 

A  herd  of  guanacos  started  up,  and  fled  away  across  the 
desert.  The  man  and  boy  pursued. 

It  was  wild  sport.  John  Smith  whooped  like  a  wild 
creature,  and  he  rode  his  horse  as  if  a  part  of  the  animal 
itself.  Out  from  his  shoulders  flapped  his  quillango,  a  fur 
robe,  made  from  the  skins  of  young  guanacos.  Around 
and  around  his  head  he  swung  the  bolas,  one  free  while 
swinging,  while  the  other  was  held  in  his  hand.  He  made 
the  throw,  releasing  the  one  in  his  hand.  The  free  one 
came  down  on  the  back  of  a  guanaco,  and  the  other  came 


ioo  The  Gaucho. 

down  on  that  with  a  crack.  The  animal  dropped,  its  back 
broken. 

John  Smith  whooped  wilder  than  ever. 

Frank  felt  his  blood  seething  in  his  veins.  Surely,  this 
was  life  and  sport.  He  had  never  struck  anything  like  it 
before.  He  felt  that  he  had  lived  a  year  of  pleasure  in 
that  one  day. 

Crack — crack !  It  took  two  shots  to  bring  down  one  of 
the  guanacos.  The  creature  turned  over  and  over  as  it 
fell,  and  stopped  at  the  foot  of  a  ridge. 

A  long,  gaunt  creature  sprang  up  and  parted  the  herd. 
Smith  went  after  this  creature,  which  was  a  panther,  and 
Frank  continued  after  the  flying  guanacos. 

On  and  on  rode  the  boy.  Now  and  then  he  fired. 
Sometimes  he  missed,  and  sometimes  he  did  not.  He  took 
no  note  of  time  or  space. 

Finally  the  ridges  hid  all  the  fleeing  animals  that  had 
not  fallen,  and  Frank  drew  rein. 

"Ha !  ha !"  he  laughed.  'Talk  about  fun !  This  beats 
everything !" 

He  turned  back.  Ridges,  knolls,  bushes,  sand,  red  and 
brown  pebbles  on  every  hand. 

The  sun  was  low  in  the  west.  Soon  it  would  sink" 
from  view,  and  he  would  be  alone  in  the  desert. 

Where  was  Smith  ? 

He  rode  to  the  crest  of  a  high  ridge  and  looked  around. 
All  he  could  see  were  other  high  ridges,  bushes,  sand,  and 
pebbles. 

Frank  began  to  feel  uneasy.  He  shouted,  but  the 
strong  wind  seemed  to  tear  the  words  from  his  lips  and 
bear  them  away  almost  soundless. 

"I  must  find  my  way  back." 

He  started  to  retrace  the  trail  left  by  his  horse.  It  was 
no  easy  task,  as  he  soon  discovered,  and  he  was  not  long 


The  Gaucho.  101 

in  deciding  that  night  would  fall  before  he  could  reach 
the  spot  where  the  herd  of  guanacos  had  been  started  up. 

Frank  became  fearful,  and  he  tried  to  hasten  forward. 
As  a  result,  he  soon  lost  the  trail  entirely.  Then  he  took 
the  sun  as  a  guide,  keeping  it  over  his  left  shoulder  all 
the  time. 

The  sun  sank  lower  and  lower. 

Several  times  Frank  fired  his  rifle,  hoping  Smith  would 
hear  the  report.  He  had  begun  to  feel  very  desperate. 

An  ostrich  started  up,  and  dashed  away,  but  the  boy 
did  not  follow. 

At  last  the  sun  dropped  beneath  the  horizon,  and  night 
came  down  swiftly  on  the  desert. 

Frank  rode  aimlessly  onward,  lost  in  the  desert! 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LEFT    TO    HIS    FATE. 

The  moon  had  not  arisen,  and  night  lay  grim  and  heavy 
on  the  desert.  Everywhere  was  a  great  silence,  a  pro 
found  loneliness. 

"It  is  useless,  old  horse — we  may  as  well  stop  here.  To 
continue  to  wander  onward  would  be  folly." 

It  was  the  voice  of  Frank  Merriwell. 

The  horse  stopped  willingly,  and  Frank  dismounted. 

Any  one  who  has  not  been  lost  on  a  vast  plain,  or  in  a 
great  forest,  is  quite  unable  to  comprehend  the  terror  of 
the  shock  that  comes  to  the  lost  one  when  he  first  realizes 
he  is  completely  bewildered  in  regard  to  his  bearings. 
Such  a  discovery  benumbs  one  with  horror  at  first,  and 
then  makes  him  frantic  to  hurry  onward  somewhere,  any 
where.  For  the  time,  reason  and  cool  judgment  give  way 
to  fear. 

It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  Frank  repressed 
his  desire  to  hurry  onward  through  the  darkness. 

"I  might  wander  so  far  into  this  desert  that  I  could 
never  find  my  way  out,"  he  said. 

And  then  came  the  thought  that  the  pampas  lay  around 
him,  stretching  away  hundreds  of  miles  in  some  direc 
tions.  If  he  were  not  careful  and  cautious,  he  might  re 
main  a  wanderer  on  the  desert  till  hunger  and  thirst  ended 
his  life. 

"I'll  need  my  strength,  and  I  will  rest,"  he  said. 

So  he  lay  down  in  a  little  hollow,  where  the  force  of 
the  cool  night  wind  was  broken  by  a  ridge.  His  horse 
was  tethered  from  a  picket-pin. 


Left  to  His  Fate.  103 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  Frank  was  able  to  go  to  sleep 
readily,  being  in  a  healthy  condition,  and  wearied  from 
the  wild  sport  of  the  afternoon. 

He  must  have  slept  some  time.  He  was  awakened  by 
a  shock.  Some  one  or  something  pounced  upon  him  heav- 
ily. 

In  a  moment  Frank  was  wide  awake,  and  he  struggled 
to  fling  off  his  assailant,  but  he  had  been  taken  at  an  ad 
vantage,  and  he  did  not  readily  succeed. 

It  did  not  take  the  boy  long  to  discover  that  his  assail 
ant  was  a  man,  and  not  a  wild  animal,  as  he  had  at  first 
supposed.  The  unknown  fastened  a  hand  on  Frank's 
throat,  and  shut  off  the  boy's  wind. 

Frank  realized  his  strength  would  go  quickly  with  his 
breath,  and  he  tried  to  tear  that  hand  away. 

He  succeeded,  and  the  unknown  uttered  an  oath  in 
Spanish,  making  another  fierce  effort  to  close  on  the  boy's 
windpipe. 

As  our  old  readers  know,  Frank  was  an  athlete,  and, 
feeling  that  he  was  fighting  for  his  life,  he  strained  every 
nerve  and  muscle. 

With  a  sudden  flip,  the  boy  turned  his  foe,  and  they 
rolled  over  and  over,  panting,  squirming,  uttering  ex 
plosive  grunts. 

The  lad  was  beginning  to  get  the  best  of  the  fight. 

"Caramba!"  hissed  the  unknown,  and  then,  of  a  sudden, 
he  raised  some  weapon,  and  brought  it  down,  with  a  crack, 
upon  Frank's  skull. 

Bright  lights  flashed  before  the  boy's  eyes,  making  it 
seem  that  a  thousand  rockets  had  exploded  in  his  brain, 
and  he  fell  over  limply,  knocked  out. 

When  Frank  recovered  consciousness,  he  found  himself 
bound  hands  and  feet,  and  lying  on  the  ground.  Near 
him  a  black  form  squatted  in  the  darkness.  It  was  a  man, 
sitting  on  his  heels,  and  smoking. 


104  Left  to  His  Fate. 

Frank  peered  keenly  at  the  figure,  and  he  saw  that  the 
man's  head  and  face  were  muffled  with  some  kind  of  a 
cloth,  which  served  to  conceal  his  features.  There  were 
eye-holes  and  a  slit  for  his  mouth. 

The  man  seemed  to  realize  immediately  that  Frank  had 
revived,  for  he  said : 

"Ha!  So  you  have  come  around,  eh?  Well,  I  wait. 
I  think  that  I  had  best  to  plant  you,  but  I  wait." 

The  voice  was  not  familiar  to  Frank,  and  he  did  not 
think  he  had  ever  heard  it  before.  That  it  was  the  voice 
of  a  Spaniard,  the  peculiar  accent  and  expression  seemed 
to  indicate. 

"Who  are  you  ?"  the  boy  demanded. 

A  low,  hoarse  chuckle  came  from  beneath  the  muffling 
folds  of  the  cloth  about  the  man's  head. 

"Who  that  I  am?  I  will  tell  you.  I  am  to  you  one 
deadly  enemy." 

"Why  should  you  be  that?  What  have  I  ever  done  to 
you?" 

"What  have  you?  Never  mind.  It  is  what  I  know. 
If  you  have  done  nothing  at  all,  you  are  yet  my  enemy." 

"Why?" 

"Shall  I  tell  ?  No.  Let  you  die  and  never  know.  That 
will  make  to  you  the  worst  misery." 

"Then  you  mean  to  murder  me?" 

"Oh,  no ;  I  mean  no  more  than  to  let  you  die." 

Despite  himself,  Frank  shuddered,  the  manner  in  which 
the  words  were  uttered  turning  his  blood  cold. 

"Then  you  intend  to  leave  me  here  as  I  am,  bound 
hands  and  feet — leave  me  for  the  wild  beasts  of  the 
desert?" 

Once  more  that  low,  hoarse  chuckle  came  from  beneath 
the  cloth. 

"I  shall  not  leave  you  as  you  are — no,  no." 

"How,  then?" 


Left  to  His  Fate.  105 

"To  find  that  out  you  are  in  great  haste.  You  will 
know  soon  enough ;  do  not  be  in  so  fast  hurry." 

The  fellow  was  tantalizing,  and  Frank  suppressed  his 
anger  with  an  effort.  He  knew  the  man  expected  an  out 
burst  of  rage  or  supplication,  and  would  gloat  over  his 
helplessness. 

"I  have  been  in  scrapes  that  were  as  bad  as  this,  and  I 
still  live,"  thought  the  boy.  "  'Never  say  die'  is  a  good 
motto." 

There  was  a  little  silence,  and  the  unknown  smoked  on. 
By  the  glow  of  the  cigarette  the  helpless  youth  could  see 
two  gleaming  eyes  beyond  the  twin  slits  in  the  cloth. 

Frank  resolved  that  he  would  not  be  the  first  to  speak, 
although  he  would  have  given  much  to  know  who  this 
mysterious  foe  was  and  why  he  concealed  his  identity. 

All  at  once  a  thought  came  to  Frank : 

"This  is  not  the  first  time  he  has  tried  to  kill  me!" 

"Yes,"  said  the  unknown,  as  if  he  were  a  mind  reader, 
"it  was  myself  who  did  throw  the  snake  knife.  Such  for 
tune  you  did  have  to  escape  being  touched  the  poison  by !" 

"I  knew  it!"  exclaimed  the  boy.  "You  are  a  human 
monster!  You  are  worse  than  the  savages — worse  than 
the  brutes !" 

"Ha,  ha,  ha !  Now  it  is  that  you  get  yourself  excited. 
Ha,  ha,  ha!  Now  it  is  you  know  what  a  deadly  one 
I  am." 

Frank  bit  his  tongue,  regretting  that  he  had  given  the 
man  so  much  satisfaction.  He  spoke  calmly. 

"If  you  were  anything  but  a  dastardly  coward,  you 
would  set  me  free,  and  give  me  a  show  for  my  life.  I  will 
fight  you  with  any  sort  of  weapon." 

"Fight !  Ha !  A  fool  I  would  be !  I  have  you  where 
I  can  crush  you  with  one  blow  by.  A  fool  I  would  be !" 

"Now,  you  are  showing  yourself  a  dog — a  coward !" 

A  snarling  sound  came  from  the  unknown's  lips,  and 


106  Left  to  His  Fate. 

he  suddenly  launched  himself  upon  the  lad.  Frank  saw 
something  bright  glint  in  the  glow  from  the  cigarette, 
which  had  been  dropped  to  the  ground,  and  then  felt  that 
something  touch  his  throat. 

"Caramba!"  grated  the  man,  crushing  his  knee  into  the 
lad's  breast.  "At  your  throat  my  knife  is !  With  one 
swift  stroke  your  life  I  can  let  out !" 

"Go  on ;  finish  your  vile  work,"  said  Frank,  hoarsely. 

"No,  boy;  it  would  be  too  quick.  You  would  not  be 
so  you  would  wonder  who  had  killed  you  as  you  died.  I 
want  you  to  have  time  to  think  of  it — to  wonder." 

"Then  you  mean  to  kill  me  slowly — by  inches?" 

"You  will  take  a  long  time  to  die,  and  you  will  be 
alone." 

"If  you  mean  to  leave  me  here  to  starve  in  the  desert, 
why  don't  you  do  so  ?  I  shall  not  miss  you  when  you  are 
gone." 

"Ha!  I  wonder  at  your  hurry.  It  is  so  much  to  the 
strange.  If  the  time  I  had  I  would  stay  with  you  longer ; 
but  there  is  a  ride  before  me." 

"Good-evening." 

"Why  you  say  that?" 

"I  thought  you  were  going." 

"Not  so  soon.  Before  I  go  I  fix  you  so  there  will  be  no 
chance  for  you  to  come  away.  My  foot  fall  in  the  place ; 
I  know  where  it  is." 

Frank  wondered  what  the  fellow  could  mean,  and  he 
was  soon  to  find  out.  The  unknown  put  up  his  knife, 
grasped  the  boy,  and  dragged  him  along  over  the  ground. 

Frank  made  a  desperate  effort  to  break  his  bonds,  but  he 
strove  in  vain.  The  cord  was  strong,  and  the  knots  well 
tied. 

For  a  distance  of  thirty  feet  the  man  dragged  the  boy, 
and  then  from  beneath  the  baffling  cloth  came  the  words : 

"It  is  here.     If  it  is  deep  enough,  that  is  all." 


Left  to  His  Fate.  107 

And  then,  before  the  lad  could  understand  what  was  to 
be  done,  he  lifted  Frank,  whose  feet  slipped  into  a  hole 
in  the  ground,  the  burrow  of  some  wild  creature. 

When  it  was  too  late  the  boy  made  a  struggle  to  pre 
vent  his  foe  from  accomplishing  his  design.  Down  to  his 
shoulders — to  his  neck — he  dropped,  and  there  he  stood. 

Once  more  the  unknown  laughed,  in  a  blood-chilling 
way. 

"It  is  the  very  good  fit,"  he  said.  "It  is  as  if  it  had 
been  made  to  the  match." 

"And  you  mean  to  leave  me  here  ?" 

"Is  it  not  a  fine  place?  Oh,  it  will  be  what  you  like 
when  you  have  been  there  a  good  time.  I  will  make  it 
some  better." 

He  took  out  his  long  knife,  with  which  he  loosened  the 
earth  and  thrust  it  in  about  the  boy.  In  a  few  minutes 
Frank  was  standing  there,  buried  to  the  neck,  scarcely  able 
to  move  a  muscle. 

"Is  it  much  bad  ?"  asked  the  unknown,  tauntingly.  "It 
must  be  so  easy.  If  there  would  be  some  more  light  I 
could  look  at  you.  Ah !  I  know  you  must  look  strange. 
You  must  look  like  some  vegetable  that  grow  from  the 
ground.  To-morrow  the  sun  will  come  and  beat  on  your 
head — to-morrow  you  will  be  crazy.  You  will  shout  and 
make  the  loud  noise  till  your  voice  you  have  lost.  That 
you  will  do,  if  something  does  not  come  to  eat  your  head 
off  before  to-morrow." 

Frank  ground  his  teeth,  but  spoke  no  further  words. 

For  some  time  the  unknown  crouched  there  beside  his 
victim,  taunting  and  tantalizing  him.  At  last,  finding  the 
boy  said  nothing,  he  arose. 

"The  night  goes  on,"  he  said.  "I  must  ride  far.  Your 
horse  will  be  for  me  an  easy  one  to  ride.  And  it  is  much 
time  you  may  have  to  think  who  I  am.  Adois" 


/o8  Left  to  His  Fate. 

He  paused  to  light  another  cigarette,  said  "adois"  once 
more,  and  turned  away. 

Frank  listened.  He  heard  the  man  mount,  heard  two 
horses  go  galloping  away,  the  sound  of  their  hoof-beats 
growing  fainter  and  fainter,  till  they  died  out  in  the  dis 
tance. 

The  stars  were  out,  and  there  was  a  hint  of  a  coming 
moon  in  the  eastern  sky.  The  silence  of  death  hovered 
on  the  desert. 

Frank  was  alone  and  helpless,  buried  to  the  neck  in  the 
ground.  The  dirt  had  begun  to  press  upon  him,  and  he 
felt  darting  pains  in  every  limb. 

He  did  not  cry  out,  did  not  shout  for  help,  knowing  how 
useless  such  an  effort  would  be.  There  was  not  one 
chance  in  ten  thousand  that  his  cries  could  be  heard  by 
human  ears,  and  he  might  bring  some  wild  beast  down 
into  the  hollow  to  destroy  him. 

Would  it  not  be  better  to  die  from  the  attack  of  some 
wild  beast  than  to  remain  there  and  perish  of  hunger  and 
thirst,  and  the  glare  of  the  sun  ? 

A  frantic  longing  to  burst  his  bonds,  to  struggle  out  of 
that  hole  in  the  ground,  came  over  him,  but  when  he  tried 
to  move  he  cried  out  with  pain. 

His  situation  was  horrible  enough  to  appall  the  stoutest 
heart — to  turn  warm  blood  to  ice  water. 

Frank's  life,  since  leaving  school,  had,  as  we  know,  been 
one  of  perilous  adventure ;  but  he  felt  that  he  had  rather 
face  any  peril  previously  encountered  than  the  one  that 
now  hovered  over  him. 

In  almost  every  other  case  there  had  been  a  chance  for 
him  to  fight  for  his  life,  but  now  he  could  do  nothing  but 
await  his  doom. 

The  minutes  seemed  hours.  It  seemed  that  the  moon 
should  have  arisen  long,  long  ago,  for  surely  it  was  near 
morning. 


Left  to  His  Fate.  109 

Morning !  Would  he  ever  see  the  light  of  another  day  ? 
Would  the  night  pass  and  no  wild  beast  come  to  destroy 
him? 

He  thought  of  his  home,  his  friends  far  away  in  a 
northern  land,  and  he  wondered  if  they  would  know  what 
fate  had  befallen  him.  It  was  not  likely  any  one  would 
ever  know.  John  Smith,  Juan,  Ephraim,  and  all  the 
others  might  search  for  him,  and  never  find  a  trace. 

A  human  head  rising  above  the  desert  sand  would  be  a 
small  thing  to  attract  the  eyes  of  passing  travelers.  And 
by  another  dawn  his  head  might  not  protrude  from  the 
ground ;  his  bones,  stripped  of  flesh,  might  lay  bleaching 
on  the  desert. 

Nervy  lad  though  he  was,  Frank  could  not  repress  a 
groan. 

Before  his  fancy  the  faces  of  his  schoolmates  thronged. 
Bart  Hodges,  Barney  Mulloy,  Hans  Dunnerwust,  and 
scores  of  others  seemed  crowding  about  him. 

They  would  speak  of  him  when  it  was  known  that  he 
was  gone.  They  would  speculate  as  to  the  fate  that  had 
befallen  him.  They  would  say  he  had  always  been 
"white,"  and  some  of  them  would  drop  a  tear  for  him. 

Then  came  other  faces — sweet,  girlish  faces.  Inza  Bur- 
rage,  dark-eyed,  rosy-cheeked  Inza,  smiled  upon  him,  and 
then  seemed  to  float  away,  casting  encouraging  glances 
over  her  shoulder. 

May  Blossom  followed  Inza,  tossing  her  yellow  curls, 
seeming  ready  to  laugh  or  weep,  and  uncertain  which  she 
would  do. 

Then  Elsie  Bellwood  drew  near,  and  held  out  her  hands 
to  him,  pleading  in  her  eyes,  her  face  sad  and  sweet.  He 
longed  to  touch  those  outstretched  hands,  to  whisper  some 
thing  in  her  ear  that  would  bring  a  smile  to  her  face. 

There  were  others  whom  he  had  met  in  traveling  about 
the  world — Kate  Kenyon,  the  moonshiner's  daughter; 


1 10  Left  to  His  Fate. 

Vida  Melburn,  whose  half-sister  was  "Queen  of  the  Coun 
terfeiters,"  and  last  came  dark-eyed,  little  Pepita,  who 
had  thanked  him  a  hundred  times  for  his  friendship  to 
ward  her  brother,  for  what  he  had  done  for  both  of  them. 
She  had  even  kissed  his  hand. 

Never  again  would  he  see  any  of  them ;  he  must  die  in 
the  desert,  and  become  food  for  vultures  or  wild  beasts. 

The  moon  was  thrusting  its  rim  up  between  two  swells ; 
its  white  light  would  soon  flood  the  desert. 

What  was  that  ? 

A  strange,  wild  cry  rang  through  the  night. 

Frank's  flesh  crept  upon  his  bones,  for  he  knew  the  cry 
came  from  the  throat  of  some  wild  beast. 

"Some  creature  has  scented  me,"  he  thought.  "My 
time  is  not  long!  The  end  is  very  near!" 

The  moon  pushed  up  swiftly.  Frank  could  see  it  over 
his  shoulder. 

He  saw  something  else,  for,  between  himself  and  the 
moon,  crept  a  long,  cat-like  figure  of  gigantic  dimensions. 

A  panther  was  crouching  there,  and  peering  down  into 
the  hollow ! 

Frank  did  not  stir,  hoping  the  beast  had  not  seen  him, 
and  would  go  on. 

Vain  hope.  Down  into  the  hollow  crept  the  great  cat, 
uttering  another  long,  low  cry.  Nearer  and  nearer  the 
beast  came,  and  the  boy  felt  that  his  minutes  were  drawing 
to  a  close. 

"It  will  be  over  very  soon !"  he  half  whispered. 

Nearer,  nearer,  nearer!  The  panther  came  forward, 
slowly,  very  slowly,  as  if  in  doubt  concerning  the  nature 
of  the  object  it  had  discovered  protruding  from  the  earth. 
At  times  it  stopped  for  some  moments  and  lay  close  to  the 
ground,  its  gleaming  eyes  fastened  on  the  eyes  of  the 
helpless  boy. 

Finally  the  panther  began  to  walk  about  the  boy,  snif- 


Left  to  His  Fate.  1 1 1 

fing  at  the  head  which  protruded  from  the  ground.  Plainly 
it  was  puzzled  by  what  it  saw. 

Having  made  a  complete  circle,  the  beast  paused  before 
Frank,  crouched  low,  and  seemed  to  be  gathering  itself. 

Frank  felt  that  his  last  minutes  had  come,  for  the  crea 
ture  was  preparing  to  leap. 

Then  the  boy  found  his  voice,  and  uttered  a  cry : 

"Get  out !" 

The  panther  did  not  spring.  Instead,  it  began  to  frolic 
and  gambol  about  the  boy,  purring  loudly.  It  rolled  over 
and  over,  rubbed  itself  along  the  ground,  rolled  a  small 
stone  between  its  paws,  and  acted  exactly  like  a  huge 
kitten  at  play. 

Great  drops  of  cold  perspiration  stood  on  the  boy's  face, 
and  he  scarcely  dared  draw  a  breath.  He  had  seen  a  cat 
toy  with  a  mouse  before  crushing  and  eating  it,  and  he  felt 
that  thus  the  panther  was  toying  with  him. 

"It  will  soon  get  tired,  and  then  I  must  die !"  thought 
Frank. 

But  the  moon  rose  higher,  and  still  the  panther  con 
tinued  to  gambol  and  frisk  about. 

Then  came  another  sound  from  far  across  the  desert— 
another  cry. 

"It  is  the  panther's  mate !"  thought  Frank. 

But  the  great  cat  did  not  answer  the  cry.  Instead,  it 
suddenly  stopped  playing,  bristled  up  fiercely,  and  uttered 
a  low  growl. 

Then  Frank  thought  another  male  panther  must  be  ap 
proaching,  and  the  first  one  feared  it  would  lose  its  prey. 

"If  they  will  meet  and  fight  to  the  death!"  was  the 
boy's  mental  exclamation. 

In  a  short  time  the  cry  was  repeated,  sounding  mucK 
nearer  than  before. 

Somehow,  it  did  not  seem  like  the  cry  of  the  panther 


112  Left  to  His  Fate. 

Which  the  boy  had  heard  in  the  first  place ;  it  was  quite  a 
different  note. 

The  panther  was  lashing  the  ground  with  its  tail,  seem 
ing  to  grow  more  and  more  enraged  with  each  passing 
moment. 

A  third  time  came  that  cry,  and  it  was  close  at  hand. 
A  moment  later  a  long,  slim,  supple  form  came  into  view 
over  a  ridge. 

It  was  not  a  panther,  as  Frank  immediately  saw,  but  it 
was  a  jaguar.  Between  the  panther  and  the  jaguar  there 
exists  an  undying  enmity. 

The  jaguar  crouched  on  the  ridge,  peering  into  the  hol 
low.  It  saw  the  panther,  and  snarled  and  spit. 

The  panther  was  hugging  the  ground,  and  it  growled  in 
return. 

"If  they  will  only  fight!"  thought  the  boy.  "If  they 
will  kill  each  other !" 

The  jaguar  hesitated  about  entering  the  hollow.  It 
sniffed  the  air,  and  then,  of  a  sudden,  sprang  down  from 
the  ridge. 

Two  supple  figures  sprang  toward  each  other,  met, 
grappled,  tore,  bit,  snarled,  and  howled.  Over  and  over 
they  rolled,  flinging  up  dirt  and  pebbles  from  the  ground, 
while  the  helpless  lad  watched  the  battle  with  the  greatest 
anxiety. 

The  struggle  was  not  a  long  one,  for  the  panther  was 
heavier  and  stronger  than  the  jaguar,  which  was  finally 
crushed  to  the  earth  and  held  there.  The  panther  tore 
open  the  jaguar's  throat,  fastened  its  lips  there,  and  drank 
the  dying  beast's  blood. 

"It  is  my  turn  next !"  muttered  Frank,  hopelessly. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  FRIEND. 

At  length  it  was  all  over.  The  jaguar  lay  dead  on  th« 
ground,  and  the  panther  seemed  satisfied,  for  it  sat  up  like 
a  cat  and  licked  its  paws. 

For  some  time  the  victorious  creature  sat  there  licking 
itself,  seeming  to  have  forgotten  the  boy. 

"If  it  would  forget  and  go  away !"  thought  Frank. 

The  helpless  lad  remained  as  quiet  and  motionless  as  a 
stone,  hoping  the  panther  would  forget  him ;  but  such  a 
thing  was  not  to  happen. 

After  a  time,  the  panther  approached  the  boy  once  more, 
walked  around  him,  as  if  inspecting  the  thing  it  saw  pro 
truding  from  the  ground. 

"Get  out!"  shouted  Frank,  as  the  beast  sniffed  at  his 
face. 

The  panther  jumped  away,  and  then  jumped  back,  ex 
actly  like  a  huge  cat.  It  did  not  seem  so  lively  as  it  had 
been  before  drinking  the  blood  of  the  jaguar. 

All  at  once  a  singular  thing  occurred.  The  panther 
crept  near  enough  to  touch  Frank's  face  with  its  nose,  and 
it  actually  licked  the  boy's  cheek  with  its  great,  rough 
tongue ! 

Frank  was  paralyzed  with  amazement.  The  great  cat 
purred  loudly,  and  continued  to  lick  the  boy's  face. 

This  continued  for  some  time,  and  then  the  panther  de 
liberately  curled  itself  on  the  ground  near  at  hand,  purred 
softly  some  minutes,  finally  became  silent,  closed  its  eyes, 
and  went  to  sleeo ! 


114  A  Friend. 

The  moon  climbed  into  the  sky,  and  the  night  crept  on, 
,with  leaden  feet.  The  sated  panther  slept. 

"He  is  waiting  to  make  a  meal  off  me  in  the  morning," 
thought  Frank.  "This  simply  prolongs  the  agony." 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  what  strange,  wild  fancies  flitted 
through  the  brain  of  the  unfortunate  lad  during  the  tedi 
ous  hours  while,  helplessly  buried  to  his  neck,  with  the 
gorged  panther  sleeping  less  than  ten  feet  away. 

Although  he  was  one  of  the  kind  who  never  cease  to 
hope  as  long  as  life  remains,  still  he  knew  he  had  not  one 
chance  in  ten  thousand  to  escape  death. 

The  stars  were  beginning  to  pale,  and  morning  was 
not  far  distant,  when  he  fancied  he  heard  a  sound  far 
away  on  the  desert. 

The  panther  heard  it,  for  he  awoke,  lifted  his  head,  and 
listened. 

"Something  has  aroused  him,  and  now  he  will  finish 
me,"  said  the  boy,  mentally. 

The  sounds — a  faint,  irregular  thud,  thud — became 
more  and  more  distinct.  The  panther  started  up,  saw  the 
bead  of  the  helpless  lad,  stared  at  it  a  moment,  as  if  sur 
prised,  and  then  began  to  purr  once  more. 

The  great  cat  seemed  very  good-natured.  It  advanced, 
and  sniffed  at  Frank,  and  seemed  on  the  point  of  begin 
ning  to  gambol  again,  when  it  paused  to  listen  once  more. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  sounds,  and  a  wild  thrill 
Stirred  the  boy's  heart,  and  sent  the  sluggish  blood  hurry 
ing  through  his  veins,  for  he  fancied  he  recognized  the 
sounds. 

"Horses !"  he  panted,  forgetting  himself,  and  speaking 
aloud.  "Horses,  and  coming  this  way!  Are  they  rid- 
"den?" 

That  there  was  more  than  one  he  was  certain.  He 
could  tell  that  much  by  the  beating  of  their  hoofs. 


A  Friend.  115 

The  panther  was  uneasy.  It  moved  to  and  fro,  paus 
ing  now  and  then  to  listen.  It  had  ceased  to  purr. 

A  sudden  desire  to  shout  as  loudly  as  possible  came 
over  Frank,  but  he  choked  back  the  cry  that  arose  in  his 
throat. 

"If  I  shout  it  may  enrage  the  panther,  so  the  creature 
yvill  leap  upon  me,"  was  his  thought. 

If  he  did  not  shout,  the  horsemen — in  case  the  horses 
\vere  mounted — might  pass  without  knowing  any  one  was 
near. 

The  horses  were  coming  directly  toward  that  spot,  and 
now  came  another  thought  that  was  far  from  pleasant. 

"Perhaps  it  is  my  mysterious  foe  returning  with  com 
panions?  If  not,  why  should  they  come  directly  toward 
this  place  ?" 

The  panther  whined  uneasily,  crouched  close  to  the 
ground  for  some  moments,  and  then  started  up  of  a  sud 
den,  and  hurriedly  skulked  away.  Frank  watched  the 
beast  till  it  disappeared  over  the  crest  of  a  ridge. 

The  boy  could  hardly  realize  that  the  fierce  creature 
had  departed  without  doing  him  the  least  harm. 

Nearer  and  yet  nearer  came  the  horses.  They  were 
close  at  hand — they  were  passing ! 

"Never  mind  if  they  should  prove  to  be  enemies," 
thought  the  boy.  "Any  death  is  preferable  to  the  one  to 
which  my  unknown  enemy  has  left  me." 

He  opened  his  mouth  to  utter  a  shout — he  sought  to 
Cry  for  help. 

To  his  horror,  the  sound  that  came  from  his  lips  was 
scarcely  louder  than  a  whisper.  It  seemed  that  he  had 
suddenly  lost  the  power  to  utter  a  loud  cry. 

Again  and  again  he  tried,  but  the  same  husky  sound 
issued  from  his  throat. 

The  horses  had  passed,  and  their  hoof -beats  were  sound 
ing  less  and  less  distinct.  He  caught  a  glimpse  of  two 


n6  A  Friend. 

fleeting  forms  that  passed  over  a  rise,  and  a  groan  of  de 
spair  came  hollowly  from  his  dry  throat : 

"Lost!" 

Now  he  felt  certain  the  horsemen  were  not  his  enemies. 
They  had  known  nothing  of  his  presence. 

Fainter  and  fainter  sounded  the  hoof-beats. 

"Help!  help!  help!" 

Frank  had  found  his  voice  at  last,  but  it  was  too  late 
to  make  the  horsemen  hear.  Onward  they  went,  through 
the  night,  and  the  sound  of  their  horses'  feet  died  out. 

At  that  moment  Frank  came  nearer  giving  up  hope  than 
ever  before  in  his  life.  It  seemed  that  fate  was  against 
him — that  he  was  doomed.  He  raved  at  himself  because 
of  his  inability  to  shout,  and  then  he  became  silent  and  un 
conscious,  for  the  time,  of  his  surroundings. 

Something  aroused  him  once  more.  It  was  like  a  faint 
shout,  far  away.  There  was  another  sound,  a  faint  thud, 
thud,  growing  louder  and  louder. 

The  lad's  heart  leaped  into  his  throat,  and  he  gasped : 

"Are  they  coming  back?     Can  it  be?     Is  it  possible?" 

It  seemed  most  improbable  and  unlikely.  Why  should 
they  come  back?  And  yet  the  sounds  were  becoming 
more  distinct  with  each  moment. 

Spang ! 

It  was  the  report  of  a  rifle.  Of  that  there  could  be  no 
doubt.  And  now  he  plainly  heard  shouts,  which  came 
from  human  lips. 

"They  are  coming !" 

His  voice  should  not  fail  him  this  time ;  he  would  make 
them  hear.  He  reserved  all  his  energy  till  they  came  yet 
nearer. 

Once  more  a  rifle  shot  rang  out. 

"It  cannot  be  the  gauchos,"  decided  the  helpless  boy, 
"for  they  do  not  use  rifles.  Who  is  it,  then  ?" 

This  time  the  horsemen  came  straight  toward  the  spot 


A  Friend.  117 

where  t1  raiitc  was  buried  in  the  ground  to  his  neck.  They 
were  urging  their  horses  fiercely,  now  and  then  uttering 
shouts. 

Suddenly  over  a  ridge  came  a  supple  creature  that 
seemed  to  limp  as  if  injured. 

It  was  a  panther! 

The  animal  ran  down  into  the  hollow  close  to  Frank, 
and  there  it  crouched,  whining  piteously  and  lapping  at  a 
wound  in  its  shoulder. 

"Great  Scott !"  gasped  the  boy.  "I  believe  it  is  the 
same  panther — my  panther !" 

The  beast  whined  again,  and  crept  nearer  Frank's  head. 

Over  the  ridge  dashed  two  horsemen,  with  a  led  animal 
in  tow.  They  saw  the  crouching  panther,  and  uttered 
cries  of  satisfaction.  Around  the  head  of  one  of  them 
whirled  the  noose  of  a  lasso. 

"Stop !"  shouted  Frank  Merriwell,  with  all  the  force  he 
could  command.  "You  must  not  harm  this  beast !  It  has 
saved  my  life!  Stop,  I  say!" 

They  heard  him;  they  saw  his  head  protruding  from 
the  ground,  with  the  moonlight  falling  full  on  his  face, 
and  great  was  their  amazement.  In  a  moment  the  horses 
were  flung  on  their  haunches,  while  one  of  them  lifted  a 
rifle  to  his  shoulder. 

"Stop !"  screamed  Frank.  "You  must  not  shoot !  Stop, 
I  tell  you !" 

The  rifle  dropped,  and  a  cry  of  joy  came  from  the  one 
who  held  it. 

"Gol  dern  my  skin  ef  it  ain't  Frank !" 

It  was  Ephraim  Gallup ! 

"Shiver  my  timbers  if  it  ain't  the  boy !"  roared  the  other, 
who  was  John  Smith,  the  gaucho. 

The  panther  began  to  creep  away. 

"Let  the  creature  go,"  commanded  Frank.  "It  has 
t»aved  my  life.  You  must  not  kill  it." 


n8  A  Friend. 

"All  right,  my  hearty,"  said  Smith.  "This  youngster 
here  has  socked  a  bullet  into  the  critter ;  but  we'll  let  it  go 
if  you  say  so." 

"I  do  say  so.  Let  it  go,  and  get  me  out  of  here  ai 
quickly  as  you  can." 

Smith  sprang  down,  drew  his  knife,  and  was  soon  dig 
ging  away  the  earth  about  Frank.  Ephraim  dismounted 
and  aided,  the  panther  having  disappeared. 

In  a  short  time  the  boy  was  dragged  from  the  ground 
and  set  at  liberty,  but  he  was  so  benumbed  that  he  could 
not  stand.  When  he  had  rubbed  his  limbs  till  the  blood 
circulated  freely  once  more,  he  sat  up,  and  told  them  his 
story,  to  which  they  listened  in  great  amazement. 

"Gol  dern  ef  I  ever  heard  uv  a  panther  actin'  that  way 
before !"  cried  Ephraim. 

"That  is  nothing,"  declared  Smith.  "The  natives  here 
give  the  panther  a  name  that  means  'friend  of  man.'  Pan 
thers  never  attack  men,  unless  first  attacked.  Even  then 
they  are  likely  to  run  away  till  cornered,  when  they  may 
crouch  and  whine  and  cry  till  killed.  They  have  a  way 
of  playing  around  travelers  in  the  desert  and  on  the  pam 
pas.  Barnyard  cattle  have  killed  a  sight  more  humans 
than  panthers  ever  did,  twist  my  buttons  if  they  ain't  !"* 

This  seemed  so  improbable  that  the  boys  were  inclined 
to  believe  Smith  was  drawing  the  long  bow,  but  he  in 
sisted  that  he  spoke  the  simple  truth. 

Frank  questioned  the  others  as  to  how  they  happened  to 
be  there  at  that  time. 

The  gaucho  explained  that  he  had  searched  for  Frank" 
after  they  had  become  separated  during  the  hunt  of  the 
guanacos,  but  finally  decided  that  the  boy  must  have  re- 

*This  is  true  of  the  South  American  panther.  When  it  is  in 
a  playful  spirit,  if  a  lone  traveler  comes  along,  it  is  as  glad  to  see 
him  as  a  petted  cat  is  to  see  its  mistress,  and  just  about  as  likely 
to  do  him  harm. — AUTHOR. 


A  Friend.  119 

turned  to  the  river.  But  when  he  arrived  at  the  camp 
Frank  was  not  there,  and  his  report  produced  great  ex 
citement. 

Ephraim  Gallup  insisted  on  starting  at  once  to  search 
for  the  missing  lad,  and,  having  secured  a  fresh  horse, 
Smith  started  out  with  the  boy  from  Vermont. 

The  search  had  been  at  random,  to  a  great  extent,  and 
the  gaucho  had  felt  that  it  was  hopeless,  but  Ephraim 
would  not  rest.  At  last  they  had  found  a  saddled  and 
bridled  horse  wandering  on  the  desert,  and  the  animal 
proved  to  be  the  one  Frank  had  ridden. 

This  discovery  had  caused  them  both  to  believe  there 
was  little  hope  of  ever  seeing  Frank  again,  but  the  frantic 
Yankee  boy  had  insisted  on  continuing  the  search,  and  the 
reader  knows  the  result. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

OLD    ENEMIES    APPEAR. 

Morning  came. 

The  gaucho  and  the  two  boys  were  riding  hard  for  the 
Rio  Salado,  and  the  line  of  timber  along  the  river  was  in 
sight. 

"Listen!"  cried  Frank.     "Did  you  hear  anything?" 

"Dash  my  toplights  if  I  didn't!"  returned  Smith,  ex 
plosively. 

"What  did  it  sound  like?" 

"Shooting." 

"That  is  what  I  thought  I  heard." 

"You  fellers  hev  got  the  longest  ears  I  ever  saw !"  ex 
claimed  Ephraim.  "I  didn't  hear  nuthin'." 

The  horses  were  urged  to  a  still  faster  pace. 

"There !"  shouted  Frank.     "I  heard  it  again !" 

"So  did  I,"  nodded  Smith.     "Wonder  what  it  means?" 

"Something  is  wrong  at  the  camp,  that's  what !" 

"Look  there!  What  is  that  black  smoke  that's  rising 
above  the  trees — what  does  that  mean  ?" 

Smith  did  not  speak  again,  but  he  rode  like  a  fiend. 

All  three  horses  were  tough  and  hard,  so  the  gaucho 
did  not  ride  away  from  the  boys. 

"Perhaps  my  unknown  foe  is  behind  this,"  thought 
Frank.  "It  is  possible  he  means  to  clean  out  the  entire 
party,  and  is  trying  to  continue  his  work  at  the  camp." 

As  they  came  nearer,  repeated  shots  could  be  heard,  and 
it  seemed  a  regular  battle,  or  a  skirmish,  at  least,  was  tak 
ing  place.  The  soft  grass  and  earth  partially  muffled  the 


Old  Enemies  Appear.  121 

sound  of  the  horses'  feet,  and  no  sounds  came  from  the 
lips  of  the  riders. 

At  last  they  came  in  sight  of  the  hut,  and  saw  that  the 
dry  grass  roof  was  all  aflame. 

In  a  little  grove  at  a  distance  a  number  of  men  were 
hugging  the  trunks  of  trees,  from  behind  which  they  were 
shooting  at  the  door  of  the  hut,  which  was  closed. 

As  Smith  and  the  boys  stared  in  astonishment,  a  puff  of 
smoke  leaped  out  from  the  side  of  the  hut,  and  the  report 
of  a  rifle  followed,  showing  that  some  one  had  fired  a  shot 
from  within. 

"Our  friends  are  penned  in  the  hut !"  palpitated  Frank. 
"The  moment  they  appear  at  the  door  they  will  be  shot 
down  like  dogs.  In  some  way  these  ruffians  have  fired 
the  roof,  and  it  is  but  a  question  of  time  when  those 
within  the  hut  will  have  to  come  out,  or  roast." 

"Twist  my  buttons,  but  you're  right !"  nodded  Smith. 

"Who  be  them  fellers  behind  the  trees?"  asked  Eph- 
raim. 

"I  know  them!"  guardedly  cried  the  other  lad.  "Al 
though  I  have  seen  his  face  but  once,  I  know  that  big  man 
with  the  fierce  black  beard." 

"Who  is  it?" 

"Black  Miguel." 

"The  Chilian  bandit?" 

"Sure." 

"Wai,  I  declare !  Who'd  ever  thought  he'd  follered  us 
here !"  gasped  Ephraim.  "It  beats  all  natur' !" 

"See !"  palpitated  Frank.  "See  that  other  man,  who  is 
keeping  in  the  background  ?  Take  a  good  look  at  him !" 

"Wai?" 

"Ten  to  one  that  is  the  Marques  Aguila,  Sefior  Matias' 
deadly  enemy !  If  so,  he  is  the  one  who  has  urged  Black 
Miguel  to  follow  us — he  is  the  one  to  fear  above  all 
others." 


122  Old  Enemies  Appear. 

"Hang  them  all!"  grated  John  Smith,  harshly. 
"They've  set  my  house  afire !  I'd  like  to  get  square !" 

"Follow  me!"  directed  Frank.  "Get  ready  to  shoot, 
Ephraim,  and  open  on  them  when  I  do.  Now,  Mr.  Smith, 
you  will  see  the  value  of  a  rifle." 

"Oh,  well,  I  dunno.  I  may  be  able  to  create  some  dis 
turbance  myself.  I  am  with  you,  youngsters." 

Straight  toward  the  besieging  party  they  charged,  and 
the  attention  of  the  men  was  so  much  given  to  the  hut  and 
its  inmates  that  the  trio  were  able  to  get  close  upon  them 
before  being  discovered. 

The  moment  the  bandits  saw  the  three  horsemen,  Frank 
gave  the  command  to  open  fire. 

Ephraim  could  not  work  his  rifle  nearly  as  fast  as  Frank 
could,  but  he  did  well,  and,  between  them,  they  sent  a  hail 
storm  of  bullets  whistling  about  the  ears  of  the  astonished 
and  dismayed  outlaws. 

One  or  two  of  the  bandits  were  seen  to  fall,  and  the 
others  were  thrown  into  the  utmost  confusion. 

A  short  distance  away,  beyond  some  foliage,  were 
horses,  and  the  outlaws,  after  firing  a  few  scattering 
shots,  made  a  rush  for  the  animals. 

The  door  of  the  burning  hut  was  flung  open,  and  Juan 
Matias  sprang  out,  uttering  wild  cries  of  joy. 

"Give-a  dem  fits,  Frank!"  screamed  the  Spanish  lad. 
"Shoot  de  villains — shoot  dem  all !" 

Pepita,  Alvarez,  and  Senor  Matias  followed  the  boy 
from  the  hut,  all  seeming  overcome  with  joy  by  the  oppor 
tune  appearance  of  Frank  and  his  companions. 

The  bandits,  although  they  outnumbered  their  assail 
ants,  were  so  overcome  with  astonishment  and  consterna 
tion  that  they  mounted  their  horses  in  hot  haste  and  made 
off. 

"The  blamed  greasers  are  a  brave  lot !"  observed  John 
Smith,  sarcastically.  "They  sometimes  do  things  that 


Old  Enemies  Appear.  12} 

give  people  the  impression  that  they  are  utterly  reckless, 
and  don't  care  a  hoot  for  their  lives,  but  they'll  run  four 
times  out  of  five  when  attacked  by  an  inferior  force." 

"We  have  no  time  to  pursue  them,"  said  Frank.  "We 
must  see  if  we  cannot  save  the  hut." 

"Shiver  my  timbers  if  that  ain't  right,  boy!  All  the 
same,  there's  little  show  to  save  it,  for  the  whole  roof  is 
burning." 

They  wheeled  and  rode  swiftly  toward  the  hut,  from 
which  the  little  party  that  had  been  imprisoned  there  was 
now  bringing  forth  whatever  things  of  value  they  could 
find. 

When  the  hut  was  reached,  it  was  seen  that  there  was 
no  way  to  save  it,  the  fire  being  too  far  advanced. 

"Oh,  Frank !"  cried  Juan.  "It  is  glad  we  are  to  see  you 
alive !  We  did  think  you  must  be  dead." 

Senor  Matias  was  greatly  agitated. 

"You  saved  us  when  you  did  come  as  you  did  come," 
he  said.  "My  enemy  have  followed  me  to  this  place. 
Aguila  does  not  mean  ever  to  take  one  rest  till  I  am  dead. 
He  is  a  monster !" 

"Then  you  are  sure  Aguila  was  with  that  party  ?"  asked 
Frank. 

"I  am  that  sure,  for  him  I  did  see  with  my  eyes.  He  has 
paid  Black  Miguel  to  make  the  pursuit — he  has  hired  the 
ladrones  who  with  him  were.  They  are  not  so  brave  as 
Black  Miguel's  men  he  did  have  beyond  the  mountains, 
or  they  would  have  fought,  and  would  not  have  been  made 
to  run  away  so  easy." 

"They  are  cowards  and  curs!"  said  Frank.  "We 
should  not  fear  them." 

"Ah !  but  it  is  like  the  snake  they  can  creep  upon  one, 
and  like  the  snake  they  can  strike.  That  is  why  they 
should  be  so  much  feared.  They  will  follow  us — Aguila 


124  Old  Enemies  Appear. 

.will  find  the  time  which  is  right  to  do  his  way,  and  I  shall 
die!" 

Pepita  flung  her  arms  about  her  father,  speaking 
swiftly,  passionately,  in  Spanish,  her  pretty  face  upturned. 
He  stooped  and  kissed  her,  trembling  a  little  with  fear 
and  excitement. 

Juan  turned  away,  murmuring  to  Frank : 

"My  poor  fardare!  He  be  not  like  dat  before  Black 
Miguel  hold-a  him  in  de  cave.  He  be  ver'  brave,  but  dat 
ladrone,  dat  wretch,  he  made  my  fardare  what  he  is !" 

"How  did  the  ruffians  happen  to  find  you?"  questioned 
Frank. 

"That  I  do  not  know,"  answered  the  boy,  growing 
calmer,  and  speaking  more  distinctly.  "They  must  have 
followed  to  this  spot  in  some  way,  Frank.  It  was  after 
Alvarez  had  returned  from  his  search  for  you  on  the  pam 
pas  that  they  appeared,  just  as  the  morning  was  breaking. 
Alvarez  saw  them ;  they  saw  him.  They  pursued  him 
here.  We  got  into  the  hut,  which  we  did  defend.  With 
them  was  one  Indian,  and  a  blazing  arrow  the  Indian  did 
shoot  into  the  dry  grass  on  the  roof.  It  burned.  If  you 
did  not  come  so  as  you  did,  we  must  have  come  to  the 
outside  of  the  hut,  and  the  ladrones  would  have  shot 
us  all." 

"Well,  fortune  has  not  gone  back  on  us  yet,"  laughed 
Frank,  thinking  of  his  own  marvelous  escape.  "Aguila 
may  think  he  is  dealing  with  children,  but  he  will  discover 
his  mistake." 

"Ah !  but  Black  Miguel !"  fluttered  Alvarez,  who  seemed 
in  great  fear.  "He  is  come  to  be  after  me !  He  will  not 
rest  at  all  till  me  he  has  killed !" 

"In  the  meantime,  you  might  be  able  to  do  some  killing 
yourself." 

"True  that  is !"  cried  the  young  Chilian,  savagely.    "He 


Old  Enemies  Appear.  125 

may  want  Pepita,  but  he  will  never  take  her  again  while  I 
do  live !  I  will  fight  for  Pepita !" 

He  hissed  forth  the  words,  his  hand  quivering  on  the 
haft  of  a  ready  knife. 

"A  very  bad  fellow  to  anger,"  thought  Frank.  "The 
girl  will  have  to  marry  him,  however  much  she  may  dis 
like  to  wed  an  ex-outlaw.  She  cannot  shake  him." 

Pepita  had  succeeded  in  calming  and  reassuring  her 
father,  in  a  measure. 

The  hut  was  now  enveloped  in  flames,  and  John  Smith, 
regarding  the  work  of  destruction,  was  expressing  his 
feelings  in  very  vigorous  and  forceful  language. 

Fortunately,  among  the  things  brought  from  the  hut 
was  a  quarter  of  deer  meat  and  a  long  steel  rod. 

Having  expressed  himself  to  his  entire  satisfaction, 
Smith  thrust  the  rod  through  the  deer  meat,  and  then 
planted  one  end  in  the  ground,  so  the  meat  hung  near  the 
fire,  where  it  began  to  roast. 

"This  will  save  building  up  any  other  fire,"  said  the 
sailor-gaucho.  "Just  scrape  together  some  fuel  to  keepj 
her  going  near  the  meat,  and  we'll  have  breakfast  ready 
pretty  soon.  I'm  hungry  as  a  shark,  an'  I  can't  do  bus 
iness  till  I  fill  my  sack." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
PEPITA'S    SECRET. 

"We  are  followed!" 

Frank  Merriwell  uttered  the  exclamation,  bringing  his 
horse  to  an  abrupt  stop. 

The  rest  of  the  party  drew  up.  All  were  mounted  and 
making  their  way  across  the  pampas,  guided  by  John 
Smith. 

Smith  uttered  an  ejaculation  of  impatience. 

"Have  you  just  found  that  out  ?"  he  demanded.  "Why, 
J  have  known  the  sharks  were  in  our  wake  for  hours." 

"And  you  said  nothing  about  it — why  not  ?" 

"What  was  the  use?  It  would  only  make  ye  nervous, 
and  it  wouldn't  stop  the  critters  back  there  from  foller- 
ing." 

"We  should  have  known  they  were  there,  and " 

"What  good  would  that  have  done  ?" 

"We  could  have  been  prepared  for  any  attack." 

"Triey  will  not  attack  us  till  they  think  they  can  take  us 
by  surprise  and  overcome  us  with  a  rush." 

Smith  was  cool  and  confident,  and  the  agitation  of  the 
|»rty  subsided.  The  gaucho  continued : 

"Night  is  the  time  when  them  sharks  will  come  at  us. 
iWe  must  be  on  the  watch  for  them  then.  They  may  not 
attack  us  the  first  night,  but  they  won't  let  us  finish  the 
cruise  across  the  pampas  and  run  inter  port  'thout  tryin' 
us  a  crack.  When  they  do  come,  we  want  to  be  ready  ter 
give  it  to  them  hot  and  heavy." 

"Is  there  no  way  we  can  keep  them  from  following  us  ?" 

"Just  you  name  a  way." 


Pepita's  Secret.  127 

"I  can't." 

"There  ain't  none.  They  kin  trail  us,  keeping  away 
back  all  the  time.  We  ain't  likely  to  see  them  again  till 
they  attack  us.  You  wouldn't  seen  them  this  time  if  you 
hadn't  looked  back  just  as  they  came  over  that  swell." 

Frank  acknowledged  that  this  was  right.  He  had  dis 
covered  the  pursuers  by  accident,  and  they  were  so  far 
away  that  he  had  not  felt  sure  they  were  pursuers  when  he 
first  saw  them. 

Senor  Matias  was  agitated  with  fear,  seemingly  having 
lost  his  nerve  entirely. 

"My  enemy!  My  enemy!"  he  groaned,  in  Spanish. 
"Will  he  never  give  me  peace?  A  thousand  curses  on 
him!" 

"Be  calm,  father,"  urged  Pepita,  pressing  close  to  his 
side.  "Remember  how  easily  Frank  Merriwell  and  his 
two  American  companions  put  your  enemy  to  flight.  They 
are  brave,  and  they  will  defend  you." 

"It  is  always  the  Americans !"  exclaimed  Alvarez,  bit 
terly.  "Do  you  forget  I  am  here  ?  I  can  fight,  as  well  as 
Frank  Merriwell." 

"But  you,  too,  fear  Black  Miguel,"  said  Matias.  "He 
is  on  your  trail  to  kill  you,  and  you  know  it." 

"Which  is  the  greater  reason  why  I  should  be  ready  to 
fight  him.  All  I  ask  is  a  good  opportunity  to  finish  Black 
Miguel.  I  am  satisfied  it  is  his  life  or  mine." 

"And  I  am  satisfied,"  said  Matias,  "that  I  must  kill 
Aguila,  or  he  will  kill  me.  Still,  I  dread  to  face  him. 
Once  I  feared  no  man,  but  the  darkness  and  the  terrors 
of  my  cavern  prison  made  a  coward  of  me — made  me  an 
old  man,  broken  down  and  white  haired.  While  confined 
there,  I  swore  a  thousand  times  that,  should  I  ever  get 
free,  I  would  know  no  rest  till  Aguila  lay  dead  at  my  feet. 
He  used  to  come  around  and  laugh  at  me,  spit  on  me, 
kick  me !  Then  I  would  curse  him — I  would  try  to  get  at 


128  Pepita's  Secret. 

his  throat  with  my  hands — I  would  pray  for  life,  that  I 
might  have  revenge.  But  the  sunlight,  the  free  air,  my 
children,  all  made  me  long  for  peace.  It  is  plain  there 
can  be  no  peace  till  one  of  us  is  dead." 

Juan's  hands  fell  on  his  father's  arm,  and  he  firmly  said : 

"Your  enemy  shall  die — I  swear  it!  It  is  my  duty  to 
see  that  the  wrong  to  my  father  is  avenged,  and  that  I 
shall  do." 

Matias  smiled  faintly  on  his  son,  clasping  the  hand  that 
touched  his  arm. 

"You  are  brave,  my  boy — but  you  are  young.  I  fear 
you  do  not  know  what  you  say.  You  can  be  no  match  for 
the  Marques  de  la  Villa  del  Villar  de  la  Aguila,  one  of 
the  craftiest  and  most  bloodthirsty  scoundrels  who  ever 
lived.  He  has  friends " 

"So  have  I,"  declared  Juan,  proudly.  "Frank  Merri- 
well  and  Ephraim  Gallup  are  my  friends,  father.  They 
have  stood  by  me  through  many  dangers,  and  either  one 
of  them  is  more  valuable  than  all  the  friends  Aguila  can 
buy  with  his  money." 

John  Smith  uttered  an  exclamation  of  impatience. 

"We  are  wasting  time,  mates,"  he  growled.  "We  must 
hoist  anchor  and  get  under  way  again." 

So  they  rode  onward  across  the  grassy  plain.  Wild 
creatures  started  up  before  them  and  fled,  the  most  of 
them  escaping  unharmed.  Enough  were  shot  to  provide 
meat  for  the  party. 

At  midday  they  halted  and  ate  from  the  food  they  had 
brought  along,  but  hurried  onward  again  when  they  had 
finished.  Toward  night  they  halted  again,  and  cooked 
enough  meat  for  supper;  but  they  did  not  camp  on  that 
Spot,  knowing  their  enemies  would  have  them  located. 

When  darkness  had  settled  on  the  great  plain  they  gath 
ered  everything  and  went  onward  through  the  night,  mak 
ing  as  little  noise  as  possible. 


Pepita's  Secret.  129 

Before  it  was  time  for  the  moon  to  rise  they  found  3 
sheltered  hollow  in  which  they  resolved  to  pass  the  re 
mainder  of  the  night. 

Frank  was  chosen  as  guard  for  the  first  part  of  the 
night,  Ephraim  to  follow  him. 

The  gaucho  would  not  allow  them  to  speak  aloud,  and 
he  cautioned  Frank  not  to  leave  the  hollow  while  on  guard, 
and  to  be  constantly  on  the  alert. 

All  seemed  tired.  Smith  rolled  his  quillango  about  him, 
and  seemed  to  fall  asleep  at  once.  Alvarez  smoked  a  cig 
arette,  and  then  wrapped  himself  in  his  blanket,  soon 
seeming  to  sleep.  The  others,  with  the  exception  of 
Frank,  lay  down,  and  their  heavy  breathing  soon  told; 
they  were  in  the  land  of  dreams. 

Frank  crept  to  the  crest  of  a  rise,  where  he  lay  on  the 
ground,  his  rifle  at  his  side,  listening  and  watching. 

All  was  still  on  the  vast  plain.  The  moon  would  soon 
rise,  away  in  the  east. 

Frank  lay  there  thinking  of  the  adventures  through! 
which  he  had  recently  passed.  He  fell  to  wondering  con 
cerning  the  identity  of  his  mysterious  foe. 

The  boy  had  remained  thus  for  some  time,  when,  of  a 
sudden,  he  felt  a  touch  upon  his  shoulder.  In  the  twin 
kling  of  an  eye  he  had  grappled  with  a  person  who  was  at 
his  side,  easily  forcing  the  individual  back  upon  the 
ground. 

"Don't  hurt  me!"  was  panted  in  his  ear.  "I  did  not 
come  to  harm  you." 

"Pepita!" 

Frank  was  amazed,  for  it  was  indeed  Juan's  sister. 

"Yes,  Pepita,"  she  whispered,  falteringly.  "I  could  not 
sleep,  and  I  came  here." 

"I  was  thinking  of  the  man  who  has  twice  tried  to  kill 
me,"  said  Frank.  "I  grasped  you,  thinking  you  might 
be  the  wretch.  I  beg  your  pardon,  seiiorita." 


130  Pepita's  Secret. 

"It  you  do  have,  Senor  Frank.  I  was  thinking  of  tLe 
danger  to  my  father  from  his  enemy.  I  did  not  know  that 
enemy  come  upon  the  camp  to-night." 

"But  you  knew  I  was  on  guard.  Could  you  not  trust 
me?" 

"I  could,  Frank — I  could  trust  you !  I  could  trust  you !" 
J  She  seemed  strangely  agitated,  and  Frank  felt  some 
what  abashed.  The  situation  was  not  at  all  to  his  liking. 

"Then,  if  you  could  trust  me,  why  did  you  come  here?" 

"I  wanted  to  speak  with  you." 

"You  should  have  chosen  some  other  time.  If  Alvarez 
should  know " 

"What  do  I  care !"  came  fiercely  from  her  lips.  "What 
is  Alvarez  to  me !  He  is  not  the  guardian  of  me." 

"But  he  is  your  sweetheart." 

"No!"  she  panted.  "He  forced  himself  upon  me, 
Frank !  I  do  not  love  him.  What  can  I  do  ?" 

"By  Jove,  that's  a  poser !  If  you  do  not  love  Alvarez, 
you  are  in  a  bad  box,  for  he  loves  you,  and  he  will  not 
readily  give  you  up.  You  owe  him  much — 

"That  is  the  truth,"  she  confessed,  hesitatingly.  "I  feel 
that  I  am  bad  when  him  I  do  not  love,  but  I  do  not  be  able 
to  force  myself  to  care  for  him.  I  have  made  the  try. 
What  more  can  I  do,  Frank  ?" 

"Try  again." 

"It  is  not  easy.  I  remember  that  he  has  been  a  ladrone. 
As  my  husband,  my  father  would  look  on  him  with  shame. 
He  says  not  so — he  says  nothing — but  I  know." 

"Do  you  remember  that  it  is  quite  likely  that  Alvarez 
saved  your  life  and  your  father's  life?" 

"I  remember." 

"And  still " 

"Oh,  Frank  1"  she  sobbed;  "how  is  it  possible  that  I 
should  love  him  when  it  is  another  that  I  love  ?" 

Frank  felt  more  uncomfortable  than  before. 


Pepita  Js  Secret.  131 

"Great  Scott !"  he  mentally  exclaimed,  "can  it  be  she  is 
in  love  with  me  ?  Is  it  possible  that  she  is  going  to  make 
a  declaration  of  her  love  ?" 

"Pepita,"  he  whispered,  "you  must  go  back  with  the 
others — you  must  not  remain  here  longer.  Alvarez  is 
likely  to  be  jealous,  and,  if  he  should  awaken,  it  might 
cause  trouble." 

"I  can't  go  back  till  you  I  have  told,  Frank." 

In  vain  he  urged  her ;  she  insisted  that  she  had  more  to 
say,  and  she  must  say  it.  She  was  so  close  that  he  could 
feel  her  warm  breath  at  his  ear,  as  she  panted  forth  the 
words.  Her  eyes  glowed  through  the  darkness,  and  he 
knew  her  red  lips  were  quivering  with  the  intensity  of  her 
feelings. 

"There  is  another  that  I  love,  and  he  does  not  know," 
she  went  on,  her  hand  closing  on  Frank's  wrist.  "Till 
now  I  have  not  dared  let  him  know.  I  have  feared  that 
he  does  not  care  one  thing  for  me — that  I  do  still  fear." 

It  was  with  no  little  difficulty  that  Frank  repressed  a 
groan  of  dismay.  He  saw  that  nothing  could  check  her. 
She  was  excited,  her  hot  Spanish  blood  was  aroused,  and 
she  would  speak. 

"If  I  am  the  one,  my  only  course  is  to  tell  her  frankly 
and  fairly  that  I  do  not  care  for  her,"  he  thought.  "She 
is  pretty,  and  I  might  get  broken  up  over  her  if  I  did  not 
remember  another  whose  face  I  see  so  often  in  my  dreams. 
Pepita  can  be  nothing  to  me." 

"Listen,  Frank,  I  must  tell  some  one — you  I  must  tell ! 
The  one  for  whom  I  do  care  does  not  know.  He  is  not 
from  my  own  country  and  my  own  people." 

"It's  coming !"  thought  the  boy. 

"He  did  come  from  far  to  the  north,"  the  girl  con 
tinued.  "He  is  brave — very  brave.  And  I  do  love  him, 
Frank 1" 

"But  he  may  not  care  at  all  for  you,  Pepita." 


132  Pepita's  Secret. 

"That  is  what  I  do  fear." 

"Then  you  will  be  true  to  Alvarez  ?" 

"How  can  I  that  when  Alvarez  I  do  not  love  ?" 

"Your  duty " 

"Duty — ah !  what  is  duty  to  love  ?  With  Alvarez  all  my 
Kfe  may  be  so  very  miserable !  With  the  one  I  do  love,  all 
my  life  would  be  so  very  happy !" 

Again  Frank  tried  to  tell  her  that  the  one  she  loved 
might  not  care  for  her,  and  it  was  folly  for  her  to  think  so 
much  of  him  till  she  knew,  but  she  seemed  quite  unable  to 
listen  to  reason. 

"If  I  could  tell  him !"  she  whispered,  passionately.  "I 
know  it  is  not  the  thing  that  a  girl  should  let  herself  do; 
but  how  is  it  that  I  must  keep  my  love  a  secret  in  my 
heart.  If  he  knew  he  might  love  me.  He  shall  know! 
I  must  tell  you,  Frank." 

She  leaned  still  closer,  bringing  her  lips  near  to  his  ear 
and  panted : 

'The  one  I  do  love  so  much  is — Senor  Gallup !" 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

WHEN  MORNING  CAME. 

Frank  came  near  uttering  a  cry  of  astonishment  and  re 
lief. 

"Jupiter !"  he  gasped. 

Pepita  said  something  in  Spanish,  but  Frank  did  not 
understand  what  it  was. 

To  confess  the  truth,  Frank  was  not  only  relieved,  but 
he  was  a  trifle  chagrined. 

"I  came  very  near  making  a  fool  of  myself,"  he  thought. 
"I  fancied  the  girl  had  fallen  in  love  with  me,  and  I  nearly 
betrayed  it  to  her.  I  am  glad  I  am  not  the  one ;  but  I 
wonder  what  Ephraim  will  think  about  it." 

There  were  a  few  moments  of  silence,  and  he  could  hear 
the  girl  breathing  quickly  at  his  side. 

"You  are  to  him  a  friend,"  Pepita  finally  said.  "I  felt 
that  I  must  tell  you.  Perhaps  you  know  if  he  does  care 
for  me  at  all." 

"If  so,  he  has  kept  it  a  secret.  He  has  never  said  any 
thing  to  me  about  it." 

Pepita  fell  back  a  little,  seeming  disappointed. 

"Perhaps  he  would  not  be  so  ready  to  speak,"  she  mur 
mured.  "Perhaps  he  is — what  you  call  it?  bashful." 

"I  should  not  be  surprised,"  softly  laughed  Frank.  "He 
is  the  sort  of  a  fellow  who  is  rather  backward." 

"Then  what  can  I  to  do.  In  Chili  the  young  men  are 
never  bashful.  They  are  bold — too  much  bold.  If  he 
does  not  know  that  I  care  for  him,  he  might  never  say 
that  he  did  for  me,  if  it  were  so  that  he  did." 


134  When  Morning  Came. 

"Perhaps  it  is  best  that  he  should  not  know,  for  he 
might  find  Alvarez  after  him." 

"Oh,  is  it  that  Alvarez  must  forever  to  be  in  my  way! 
I  tell  you  for  him  I  do  not  care  at  all." 

Frank  saw  that  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  convince 
her  that  it  was  her  duty  to  care  for  Alvarez.  Her  warm 
Spanish  blood  was  aroused,  and  she  was  not  prepared  to 
reason  calmly. 

"It  is  best  that  Ephraim  does  not  know,"  he  mentally 
decided.  "I  must  manage  to  keep  the  truth  from  him." 

"Pepita,"  he  said  "you  must  keep  your  secret." 

She  sighed. 

"How  am  I  to  when  I  see  him  so  much?  Why  should 
I?" 

"I  will  tell  you  why.  Alvarez  has  a  madly  jealous  dis 
position,  and  it  might  not  be  healthy  for  Ephraim  Gallup 
if  the  ex-outlaw  dreamed  you  cared  for  my  friend." 

"That  is  true — that  is  true !"  breathed  the  girl.  "Alvarez 
is  ver'  quick  with  the  knife." 

"Exactly,  and  he  might  use  it  on  Ephraim." 

"He  would  be  so  very  mad  that  he  might  kill  Senor 
Gallup." 

"That's  what  might  happen." 

"Santa  Maria !    It  must  not !" 

"Then  you  must  keep  your  love  for  Ephraim  to  yourself 
— you  must  not -betray  it.  Not  even  by  a  word,  a  glance, 
must  you  let  Alvarez  suspect.  If  you  do,  you  may  bring 
about  a  tragedy — a  murder.  If  you  love  Ephraim,  Pepita, 
you  will  keep  your  secret." 

"It  is  hard — it  is  h^rd !"  she  half  sobbed ;  "but  I  will  do 
as  you  say  that  I  must — I  will  keep  my  secret." 

"That  is  where  you  show  your  good  sense,  little  one." 

"But  it  may  be  that  he  shall  never  know  at  all." 

"What  is  to  be  will  be.  I  have  come  to  belreve  that  my 
self.  Any  one  who  has  passed  through  such  dangers  as 


When  Morning  Came.  135 

have  befallen  me  must  believe  it.  If  it  is  destined  that  you 
and  Ephraim  are  to  be  anything  to  each  other,  nothing  can 
keep  you  apart.  Believe  in  that,  and  trust  to  fate." 

"I  will— I  must." 

"That  is  good !  Now  you  had  better  go  back  and  sleep, 
for  Alvarez  might  become  jealous  of  me,  if  he  were  to 
awaken  and  know  you  were  here.  I  do  not  care  to  have 
him  for  an  enemy." 

"I  will  go;  but,  Frank,  remember  that  I  love  Senor 
Gallup,  and — and,  if  the  time  should  come  that  you  could, 
perhaps  you  might — let — him — know — a — little." 

"Perhaps.    Go,  Pepita." 

She  slipped  away  to  where  the  others  were  sleeping  in 
the  hollow,  leaving  him  alone  with  his  thoughts. 

Frank  was  somewhat  dismayed  when  he  came  to  think 
it  all  over.  He  knew  it  was  too  true  that  Alvarez  would 
be  insanely  jealous  if  he  dreamed  that  Pepita  cared  for  an 
other,  and  Ephraim's  life  would  be  in  danger. 

"It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  Ephraim  would  care  a  snap 
for  her ;  but  that  young  fire-eater  must  not  know  she  cares 
for  Ephraim.  It  is  plain  that  the  sooner  we  get  away  from 
Pepita  and  Alvarez  the  better  it  will  be." 

He  wondered  how  long  they  would  be  crossing  the 
pampas,  and  if  the  party  would  hang  together  till  Buenos 
Ayres  was  reached. 

Then  he  thought  of  Aguila  and  Black  Miguel,  the  two 
villains  who  were  following  them  across  South  America 
with  relentless  and  deadly  determination. 

"Each  day  and  every  night  we  must  be  on  our  guard," 
he  muttered.  "We  shall  encounter  them  again." 

The  moon  came  up  and  flooded  the  great  plain  with  its 
mellow  light.  It  was  so  silent  on  the  pampas  that  one 
could  not  fancy  any  living  thing  was  astir  there. 

When    his    watch    had    terminated    Frank    aroused 


136  When  Morning  Came. 

Ephraim.    The  Vermonter  arose,  yawning  and  rubbing 
his  eyes. 

"Hang  it  all !"  he  grumbled.  "I  was  jest  snoozin'  at  the 
rate  of  forty  knots  a  minute.  It's  hard  to  hev  to  git  up 
an'  keep  awake." 

"It  may  be  difficult,  but  take  my  advice  and  be  sure 
that  you  keep  awake,  Ephraim,"  said  Frank. 

"Yeou  ain't  seen  northing,  hev  ye?" 

"No." 

"Then  what's  the  matter  that  you  want  me  to  watch  out 
so  sharp  ?" 

"There  is  not  a  moment  when  we  may  not  be  in  danger. 
Aguila  has  shown  that  he  is  relentless,  and  Black  Miguel 
is  with  him." 

"But  they  don't  know  where  we  be." 

"Perhaps  not." 

"  'Course  they  don't." 

"Still,  they  may  be  searching  for  us  on  the  plain.  It  is 
your  place  to  make  sure  they  do  not  come  this  way  with 
out  we  know  it." 

"All  right;  I'll  do  it." 

Then  Frank  directed  Ephraim  to  creep  up  to  the  top  of 
the  swell,  where  he  could  lay  in  the  grass  and  look  out 
on  the  plain,  as  from  that  position  he  could  surely  see  any 
one  who  approached.  The  Yankee  boy  took  his  rifle,  and 
went  away  grumbling,  while  Frank  wrapped  himself  in 
his  blanket  and  lay  down. 

For  some  reason  Frank  did  not  fall  asleep  immediately, 
although  he  was  weary.  He  lay  a  long  time,  strange 
fancies  flitting  through  his  brain.  Just  as  he  was  begin- 
inng  to  be  drowsy  a  sudden  feeling  of  danger  came  over 
him,  and  he  started  up,  wide  awake  in  an  instant. 

All  was  quiet  in  the  camp.  The  sleepers  were  breathing 
regularly,  as  if  all  slumbered. 


\Vhen  Morning  Came.  137 

"It  was  nothing  but  a  foolish  fancy,"  thought  Frank, 
as  he  lay  down  again. 

But  it  had  aroused  him  thoroughly,  and  he  again  found 
it  difficult  to  sleep,  although  he  knew  he  needed  rest. 

"I  shall  feel  the  lack  of  sleep  in  the  morning,"  he  said. 

After  a  time  the  drowsy  feeling  came  stealing  over  him 
once  more.  And  then  he  fancied  that  his  mysterious 
enemy  was  creeping,  creeping,  creeping  upon  him.  The 
man's  eyes  shone  like  balls  of  fire,  and  a  long  knife  was 
held  in  his  teeth.  Frank  struggled  to  start  up,  but  seemed 
held  by  a  spell. 

"He  will  kill  me  this  time !" 

That  was  the  thought  which  passed  through  his  brain. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  man  with  the  knife.  Soon 
he  was  close  at  hand,  and  the  knife  raised  for  the  fatal 
stroke. 

Then  Frank  started  up  again,  choking  and  gasping. 

Not  a  living  thing  seemed  to  be  stirring  about  the  camp. 

"What  a  fool  I  am,"  he  grated,  softly.  "My  nerves  are 
in  bad  shape.  I  must  sleep,  for  I  need  it.  Ephraim  is  on 
guard,  and  everything  it  all  right." 

He  lay  down  and  slept.  When  he  awoke  it  was  morn 
ing,  and  the  camp  was  in  confusion.  He  started  up  cry 
ing: 

"What  is  the  matter?" 

"Pepita !"  sobbed  Juan— "Pepita,  she  have  gone !" 

"Gone?" 

"Yes,  Frank,  gone." 

"Where?" 

"That  is  what  nobody  can  come  to  tell-a.** 

"When  did  she  go?" 

"Nobody  know-a." 

"When  was  it  first  discovered  that  she  was  gone?" 

"When  the  morning  did  come." 

"But  where  was  Erjhraim  ?" 


138  When  Morning  Came. 

"Ah,  Frank,  he  was  sleep — fast  sleep." 

"What's  that?"  cried  Frank,  angrily.  "Did  he  sleep 
after  what  I  said  to  him — after  my  warning?" 

"Soak  me  ef  I  didn't !"  admitted  the  Yankee  boy,  look 
ing  penitent  and  ashamed.  "Got  up  there  in  the  grass, 
an'  it  was  so  swizzlin'  comfortable  that  I  jest  dropped  off. 
Never  knowed  a  thing  till  it  was  mornin',  an'  Juan  was 
shakin'  of  me.  Then  I  hopped  up,  an'  he  asked  where  his 
sister  was.  I  hedn't  seen  her,  an'  I  didn't  know  northin' 
abaout  her." 

"Oh,  Ephraim !"  came  reproachfully  from  Frank's  lips ; 
"I  am  sorry  to  hear  this  of  you." 

"An'  I'm  sorry  ter  have  ter  tell  it  to  ye,  by  gum !" 

"Then  Pepita  must  have  disappeared  in  the  night  ?" 

Alvarez  had  been  listening,  a  mad  fire  in  his  eyes,  his 
white  teeth  showing.  From  his  look  it  seemed  that  he 
suspected  at  first  that  some  one  in  the  camp  knew  what 
had  become  of  the  girl ;  but  he  saw  that  he  was  mistaken 
in  this,  and  he  snarled : 

"Fool — fool  to  sleep  and  let  her  go !  If  something  hap 
pen  to  her — if  she  do  not  come  back  all  right,  the  fool  that 
sleep  when  he  should  be  awake  shall  feel  my  knife  !" 

"Look  here !"  cried  Ephraim ;  "ef  anything  happens  to 
the  little  gal  I'll  feel  as  bad  as  yeou  do;  but  ef  yeou  try 
to  stick  yeour  knife  into  me,  I'll  be  swuzled  ef  I  don't 
knock  abaout  seventeen  bales  uv  hay  aout  of  yeou !" 

"Caramba !" 

"Wai,  I  dunno  abaout  that,  but  yeou  don't  want  to  stick 
no  knife  in  me,  dad  him  ye !" 

Alvarez  looked  as  if  he  longed  to  rush  on  Ephraim  at 
that  moment,  but  did  not  dare  to  do  so,  which  was  quite 
the  case. 

"Stop  your  growling,"  commanded  Smith,  sharply. 
"We  must  find  out  what  has  become  of  the  girl,  and  that 
We  cannot  do  by  quarreling  among  ourselves." 


When  Morning  Came.  139 

"That  is  right,"  agreed  Frank.  "It  is  not  possible  that 
Pepita  was  abducted  from  our  midst  while  we  slept,  and  it 
is  not  likely  she  ran  away  of  her  own  accord." 

As  he  said  this,  he  thought  of  the  conversation  between 
himself  and  the  missing  girl  during  the  early  part  of  the 
night.  She  did  not  love  Alvarez,  and  she  feared  him. 
Was  it  possible  she  had  been  foolish  enough  to  run  away 
from  him  while  they  were  in  the  heart  of  the  desert  ? 

"If  so,"  thought  Frank,  "the  chances  are  that  she  will 
be  killed  by  wild  beasts,  or  starve  in  the  desert.  Foolish 
girl!" 

Had  there  been  any  other  explanation  of  her  mysterious 
vanishing,  Frank  would  not  have  believed  such  a  thing 
possible.  Now  it  seemed  to  him  that,  thinking  of  her 
situation,  she  might  have  grown  desperate  and  done  some 
thing  she  would  not  have  contemplated  in  quieter  mo 
ments. 

The  gaucho  had  left  the  party,  and  was  slowly  circling 
around  the  camping  place,  his  back  bent,  and  his  eyes 
fastened  on  the  ground. 

"What's  he  doin'  of?"  asked  Ephraim. 

"Looking  for  the  trail,"  answered  Frank.  "Wait  and 

see  what  he  discovers.  It  is  possible  he  may  find 

Ha!" 

Smith  had  stooped  suddenly  and  was  closely  examining 
the  ground.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  found  something. 
In  a  few  moments  he  moved  away,  keeping  his  eyes  on  the 
ground,  and  went  to  the  crest  of  the  rise  where  the  boys 
had  remained  concealed  in  the  grass  while  on  guard  dur 
ing  the  night. 

Frank  felt  the  color  rushing  into  his  face,  for  he  realized 
the  gaucho  had  followed  the  girl's  trail  to  that  spot. 

Smith  remained  on  the  crest  of  the  rise  a  minute,  and 
then  he  came  back,  still  keeping  his  eyes  on  the  ground. 


140  When  Morning  Came. 

When  he  reached  the  place  where  the  little  party  had  slept 
he  paused  and  looked  at  Frank  and  then  at  Ephraim. 

Alvarez  was  watching  every  move  with  burning  eyes, 
and  he  snarlingly  demanded : 

"What  you  have  found  ?" 

Smith  calmly  replied : 

"Nothing." 

Frank  drew  a  breath  of  relief.  Not  that  he  was  in  the 
least  afraid  of  Alvarez,  but  he  felt  that  it  was  best  the 
hot-blooded  fellow  should  not  know  that  Pepita  had  visited 
one  of  the  guards. 

Once  more  Smith  began  to  walk  about  the  spot  where 
the  party  had  camped. 

Alvarez  watched  him,  muttering  softly  in  Spanish. 

Within  a  few  minutes  the  gaucho  paused  again,  then 
turned  and  hurried  away,  stooping  and  keeping  his  eyes 
on  the  ground.  He  passed  over  the  crest  of  a  rise,  and 
disappeared  from  view. 

Shortly  after  Smith  came  running  back,  crying : 

"Saddle  and  mount!  I've  found  the  girl's  trail,  and 
we  must  follow  it  immediately." 

Senor  Matias  tried  to  question  the  gaucho,  but  all  Smith 
would  say  was  that  the  girl  had  left  the  camp  alone.  He 
hustled  to  bind  the  packs  upon  the  backs  of  the  pack  ani 
mals,  and  the  party  was  ready  to  move  in  a  very  short 
time.  No  one  thought  of  breakfast. 

Soon  the  party  was  ready  to  move,  and  Smith  was  fol 
lowed.  Away  he  went  on  foot,  bending  forward,  his  nose 
down,  like  a  hound  on  the  scent. 

Alvarez  was  quivering  with  excitement.  He  fired  a 
score  of  questions  at  the  gaucho,  but  Smith  answered  not 
one  of  them,  much  to  the  fellow's  disgust  and  anger. 

For  at  least  a  mile  the  gaucho  followed  the  trail  of  the 
girl.  Suddenly  he  stopped,  whirling  on  the  others,  and 
flinging  up  both  hands. 


When  Morning  Came.  141 

"Avast  there !"  he  roared.    "Heave  to !" 

"What  is  it  you  do  find?"  fluttered  Juan. 

"That  I'll  tell  ye  later." 

He  got  down  on  his  hands  and  knees  and  examined  the 
ground,  creeping  about  in  the  grass.  He  got  upon  his 
feet,  and  trotted  off  a  short  distance,  where  he  stopped  to 
kneel  and  examine  the  ground  again.  Then  he  arose, 
turned  and  came  back.  The  expression  on  his  face  told 
that  he  had  made  a  most  unwelcome  discovery. 

Without  speaking,  Smith  looked  to  his  horse,  which  one 
of  the  party  had  been  leading.  He  made  sure  the  saddle 
was  secure,  and  everything  was  all  right.  Then,  gnaw 
ing  a  chew  from  a  big  twist  of  tobacco,  he  said : 

"I  don't  know  why  the  girl  came  here,  but  she  did. 
Here  she  was  met  by  a  party  of  seven,  and  they  took  her 
away — or  she  went  away  with  them  of  her  own  free  will." 

Alvarez  raved  like  a  maniac.  A  dozen  times  his  hand 
sought  the  haft  of  his  knife,  a  dozen  times  he  vowed  some 
one  should  taste  the  steel. 

Senor  Matias  seemed  stunned. 

"I  cannot  be  able  to  believe  it,"  he  muttered.  "Why 
should  she  come  to  do  such  a  thing  ?" 

"Have  you  no  idea  who  composed  this  party  of  seven  ?" 
asked  Frank,  of  John  Smith.  "I  s'pose  it  was  Aguila, 
Black  Miguel  and  the  rest  of  the  gang  with  them." 

"Gol  dern  me  ef  I  kin  understand  why  Pepita  should 
want  to  go  back  to  that  craowd,"  said  Ephraim  Gallup. 

"Perhaps  she  have  a  lover  there  of  which  I  do  not 
know,"  hissed  Alvarez,  his  face  black  as  a  thundercloud. 
"Perhaps  she  is  tired  of  me,  and  she  go  back  to  him.  Hal 
if  I  meet  them — ha !" 

But  Senor  Matias  would  not  believe  such  a  thing  of  his 
child.  He  was  sure  she  had  been  decoyed  from  the  camp 


142  When  Morning  Came. 

in  some  manner,  and  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  her 
former  captors. 

Frank  knew  not  what  to  think. 

"There  is  but  one  thing  to  do,"  said  Smith,  "and  that's 
to  get  under  way  and  be  after  them.  Come  on." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  STRUGGLE. 

Night  again. 

All  through  the  long  day  the  little  party  had  followed 
on  the  trail.  Toward  night  John  Smith  had  said : 

"They  are  making  for  Castro's  saloon." 

To  Frank  it  seemed  remarkable  that  there  should  be  a 
saloon  anywhere  on  the  pampas,  and  he  asked  what  the 
gaucho-sailor  meant,  whereupon  Smith  explained  that 
saloons  or  taverns  were  to  be  found  at  convenient  distances 
across  the  pampas  and  at  every  railway  station.  Some  of 
them  did  a  thriving  business,  being  favorite  resorts  for 
the  gauchos. 

When  night  came  on  they  were  within  a  few  miles  of 
Castro's  saloon.  Smith  disregarded  the  trail,  for  he  felt 
certain  the  party  they  were  pursuing  had  made  straight 
for  the  saloon. 

Pressing  onward,  a  light  was  seen  gleaming  across  the 
Pampas.  Toward  this  they  made  their  way. 

At  a  considerable  distance  they  halted,  and  they  were 
able  to  hear  sounds  of  singing  and  carousing. 

"Gol  derned  ef  they  ain't  whoopin'  her  up!"  said 
Ephraim. 

It  was  arranged  that  Smith  and  Frank  should  go  for 
ward  boldly  and  enter  the  saloon.  The  others  should  get 
as  near  as  possible,  and  should  be  ready  to  rush  in  when 
they  heard  a  signal  whistle  or  if  there  was  any  shooting. 

Smith  led  the  way,  and  Frank  followed  at  his  heels. 

The  saloon  was  a  mud-walled  hut,  a  story  and  a  half  in 
height.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  few  trees. 


144  The  Struggle. 

Smith  dashed  up  with  a  shout  that  caused  the  door  of 
the  saloon  to  be  flung  wide  open. 

"Ho,  there,  Johnny  Castro!"  roared  the  gaucho.  "It's 
been  a  long  time  since  I  struck  into  this  port,  but  here  I 
am  again." 

A  little,  dark-faced  man  stood  in  the  glare  of  light  that 
came  from  the  doorway.  There  was  a  belt  around  his 
waist,  and  that  belt  contained  no  less  than  five  deadly- 
looking  knives. 

"Ho,  Senor  Smith !"  cried  this  man.  "When  you  come-a 
here,  you  be  ver'  much  welcome.  Come  in !" 

The  horses  were  quickly  hitched  to  a  tree,  and  Smith 
boldly  entered  the  saloon,  Frank  still  following. 

Inside  the  hut  the  walls  were  covered  with  various  gov 
ernment  ordinances  relating  to  affairs  in  the  district,  and 
especially  to  the  sale  of  liquors.  There  were  also  great 
crude  lithographs,  representing  events  in  the  last  revolu 
tion,  or  some  other  fighting  scenes.  Mingled  with  both 
ordinances  and  lithographs  were  the  tiny  pictures  which 
come  from  packages  of  cigarettes.  There  was  a  bar,  some 
chairs,  and  a  table.  At  the  table  four  men  were  playing 
cards.  They  were  savage-looking  desperadoes,  with  black 
beards  and  armed  with  long  knives. 

These  fellows  stopped  to  stare  at  the  man  and  boy, 
scowling  in  anything  but  an  agreeable  manner. 

Another  man  was  sitting  apart,  smoking  a  cigarette. 
He  was  not  so  wild  and  savage-looking  as  the  others,  but 
he  had  the  face  of  a  villain. 

"Ten  to  one  he  is  the  Marques  Aguila,"  thought  Frank. 

The  hut  was  divided  into  two  rooms,  and  the  door  to  the 
rear  room  was  securely  closed. 

"If  Pepita  is  here,  they  have  her  in  that  room,"  Frank 
immediately  decided. 

Two  of  the  seven  men  were  missing.  Black  Miguel 
and  one  other  were  not  to  be  seen. 


The  Struggle.  145 

Smith  made  himself  very  much  at  home.  He  laughed 
and  talked  with  Castro,  and  for  fully  twenty  minutes  they 
gossiped  about  persons  they  knew. 

Frank  was  careful  to  place  himself  where  no  one  could 
get  behind  him. 

It  was  plain  that  the  ruffians  regarded  Smith  and  the 
boy  with  suspicion,  but  they  endeavored  to  keep  it  con 
cealed. 

Finally  the  sailor-gaucho  invited  every  one  present  to 
have  a  drink.  The  men  left  their  game  and  ranged  up  at 
the  bar.  Rum  was  ordered  by  every  one  of  them. 

The  glasses  were  filled  and  lifted,  and  then  an  unex 
pected  thing  happened. 

The  man  nearest  Smith  dashed  the  contents  of  his  glass 
into  the  gaucho's  face,  crying : 

"Dog!  spy!" 

Gasping  and  blinded,  John  Smith  snatched  out  his 
knife,  but  he  must  have  been  stabbed  to  the  heart  but  for 
Frank  Merriwell's  presence  of  mind  and  quick  action. 

The  man  who  had  flung  the  rum  into  Smith's  face  had 
drawn  a  knife,  lifted  it,  and  struck  at  the  gaucho's  breast. 

The  knife  did  not  reach  Smith,  for  Frank  had  a  revolver 
in  his  fingers,  and  he  fired,  the  bullet  shattering  the  hand 
that  grasped  the  haft  of  the  knife,  causing  the  weapon  to 
fall  to  the  floor. 

A  shriek  came  from  the  rear  room — the  shriek  of  a 
female  in  great  terror. 

This  cry  was  followed  by  a  crashing  sound,  a  shot  and 
a  struggle. 

"Pepita  is  there !"  shouted  Frank  Merriwell. 

Yells  of  dismay  broke  from  the  ruffians.  They  were  on 
the  point  of  making  a  rush  for  the  back  room  when  the 
door  was  burst  open  with  a  crash,  and  two  desperately 
fighting  men  reeled  into  the  front  part  of  the  saloon. 

Those  men  were  Black  Miguel  and  Alvarez ! 


146  The  Struggle. 

Each  was  armed  with  a  long,  blood-stained  knife,  and 
both  were  bleeding. 

"The  girl !"  cried  Black  Miguel,  in  Spanish — "they  are 
getting  away  with  the  girl !  Stop  them !" 

Once  more  the  ruffians  started  for  the  back  room,  but, 
before  they  could  reach  the  door,  Ephraim  Gallup  ap 
peared  in  the  opening,  a  brace  of  revolvers  in  his  hands. 

"Git  back,  yeou  sarnips!"  he  shouted.  "Git  back,  ur 
chaw  bullets !" 

At  this  instant  Senor  Matias  entered  the  saloon  by  the 
front  door,  exclaiming : 

"My  daughter — I  heard  her  call !" 

"It  is  the  last  time  you  will  hear  her  call !"  grated 
Aguila,  leaping  forward  to  drive  a  knife  into  the  man  he 
hated. 

Frank  Merriwell  saw  the  move,  and,  swift  though  it 
was,  the  boy  was  equally  quick.  Dropping  one  of  his  re 
volvers,  Frank  struck  Aguila  a  smashing  blow  on  the  jaw, 
knocking  him  down. 

The  chief  villain  of  the  lot  fell  on  his  own  knife,  which 
was  driven  deep  into  his  body,  and,  with  a  hollow  groan, 
he  rolled  over  upon  his  back,  scowling  malignantly  at 
Matias  and  gasping  for  breath.  He  did  not  live  three 
minutes. 

In  the  meantime  Alvarez  had  cut  Black  Miguel  down, 
but  he  had  paid  dearly  for  his  victory,  being  mortally 
wounded  himself. 

When  they  saw  their  chief  fall  the  remaining  ruffians 
were  seized  with  the  utmost  consternation,  and  they 
rushed,  shouting  and  cursing,  from  the  saloon.  They  lost 
no  time  in  mounting  their  horses  and  getting  away. 

The  fight  was  over,  and  the  ruffians  had  been  put  to 
route ;  but  Alvarez,  his  hand  pressed  to  his  bleeding  side, 
was  propped  in  a  chair,  calling  faintly  to  Pepita. 

Ephraim  led  the  girl  from  the  back  room.     She  was 


The  Struggle.  147 

quite  unharmed,  but  greatly  frightened.  Ephraim  and 
Alvarez  had  entered  the  back  room  by  way  of  a  window, 
and  the  Vermonter  had  disposed  of  Black  Miguel's  com 
panions,  while  Alvarez  engaged  Black  Miguel  himself. 

"Pepita!"  gasped  Alvarez,  in  Spanish,  "I  am  going! 
Black  Miguel  has  killed  me!  Now  you  will  be  free  to 
love  the  Yankee  boy,  Merriwell." 

"Sefior  Merriwell !"  she  cried,  astonished.  "Why,  I 
do  not  love  him !  How  could  you  think  that,  Alvarez  ?" 

"I  thought  I  saw  it  in  your  eyes,  and  I  hated  him  for 
it.  You  are  sure  you  do  not  love  him?  You  will  swear 
it?" 

"I  will  swear  it,  Alvarez — poor,  brave  Alvarez !" 

"Then  I  thank  the  saints  I  did  not  kill  him !  Twice  I 
tried,  once  with  the  snake  knife,  and  once  when  I  left 
him  buried  to  his  neck  in  the  desert.  Oh,  how  I  hated 
him !  But  I  am  glad  I  did  not  kill  him !" 

Frank  understood  the  fellow's  words,  and  he  was 
amazed  to  learn  that  his  mysterious  foe  had  been  Alvarez ; 
but  he  saw  bow  the  fellow  could  have  cast  his  knife  and 
escaped  detection,  and  how  he  had  found  him  by  accident 
in  the  desert  while  he  slept. 

Alvarez  had  not  many  minutes  to  live.  He  was  swiftly 
growing  weaker,  and  he  soon  'breathed  his  last,  with 
Pepita's  arms  about  his  neck,  and  his  head  on  her  bosom. 

Aguila  and  Black  Miguel  were  dead,  so  Sefior  Matias 
had  nothing  to  fear,  and  the  entire  party  made  for  the 
nearest  railroad  station,  from  which,  with  the  exception  of 
John  Smith,  they  proceeded  to  Buenos  Ayres.  Smith 
could  not  be  induced  to  abandon  the  wild  life  of  the  pam 
pas. 

"It's  good  enough  for  me,"  he  declared.  "I'll  live  and 
die  a  gaucho,  dash  my  buttons  if  I  don't?" 

So  he  went  back  to  the  grassy  plains. 

Long  before  Buenos  Ayres  was  reached  Ephraim  and 


148  The  Struggle. 

Pepita  were  very  friendly,  and  the  Yankee  boy  found  an 
opportunity  to  secretly  inform  Frank  that  he  thought  her 
a  "slappin*  pritty  gal,  by  gum  ?" 

"Well,  you  don't  want  to  make  any  rash  promises  to 
her,"  said  Frank. 

He  saw  that  his  chum  was  much  smitten  and  resolved 
to  continue  his  tour  without  delay. 

Only  a  few  days  later  he  fell  in  with  a  certain  Captain 
John  Scudd,  master  of  the  American  schooner  Sea  Fox. 

The  Sea  Fox  was  bound  for  South  Africa,  and  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  saucy  craft  pleased  Frank  greatly. 

"I  am  going  across  the  ocean  on  her,"  said  Frank.  "And 
you,  Ephraim,  must  go  with  me." 

"By  gosh,  Frank,  do  ye  mean  thet?"  burst  out  the 
Yankee  boy. 

"I  do.    Will  your  brother  care,  do  you  think  ?" 

"Don't  believe  he  will — said  in  his  letter  thet  I  could  do 
as  I  pleased  so  long  as  my  money " 

"So  long  as  I'd  foot  the  bills,  eh?" 

"Persackly,  Frank.    But  I  don't  want  you  to " 

"But  I  will.  I  have  money  and  all  bills  come  to  me. 
So  it's  settled  that  we  go." 

The  Sea  Fox  sailed  two  days  later,  with  Frank  and  the 
Yankee  lad  aboard. 

Pepita  hated  to  part  with  Ephraim,  but  Frank  managed 
to  separate  the  pair  without  a  "scene." 

Juan  was  almost  in  tears. 

"I  neva  forget  you,  Frank,"  he  said.  "You  de  brave 
boy,  de  best  boy  in  the  whol'  world,  yet !" 

"Some  day  perhaps  we'll  meet  again,"  returned  Frank. 

By  nightfall  the  Sea  Fox  was  out  of  sight  of  land,  and 
the  voyage  to  South  Africa  was  begun. 

Little  did  Frank  dream  of  the  many  startling  adventures 
in  store  for  him. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  WRECK  OF  THE  SEA  FOX. 

It  was  night,  and  a  frightful  storm  swept  the  South 
Atlantic,  carrying  in  its  seething  heart  the  disabled  and 
helpless  schooner,  the  Sea  Fox. 

Just  before  nightfall  the  storm  had  come  on  with  aston 
ishing  suddenness,  giving  the  sailors  but  a  few  seconds 
to  get  the  vessel  in  readiness  for  the  ordeal. 

Sails  had  been  ripped  away,  rigging  tangled,  the  rudder 
"jammed,"  and  the  schooner  nearly  wrecked  in  the  twin 
kling  of  an  eye. 

The  sailors  lost  their  heads  and  their  hearts  in  a  mo 
ment,  and  men  who  had  cursed  and  blasphemed  a  short 
time  before  fell  on  their  knees  and  prayed. 

Captain  John  Scudd  was  filled  with  despair  when  he 
found  the  rudder  was  useless. 

"We  are  lost !"  he  groaned.  "She  can  never  ride  out 
this  gale  in  such  a  condition !" 

As  the  gale  came  on,  Frank  and  Ephraim  had  lashed 
themselves  to  one  of  the  masts,  and,  for  all  of  the  roar 
ing  of  the  fearful  tempest,  they  were  able  to  talk  with 
each  other  by  shouting  their  words. 

"I  be  gol  derned  ef  this  don't  beat  all  natur !"  cried  the 
Yankee  lad.  "Never  see  northin'  like  this  daown  aour 
way.  I  wish  ter  gosh  I  was  back  hum  on  the  farm !" 

"This  is  life  on  the  ocean  wave,  Ephraim,"  laughed 
Frank.  "How  do  you  like  it?" 

"It's  too  much  fun  fer  me,  by  gum !  Why  didn't  the 
cap'n  run  into  that  island  we  saw  this  afternoon  ?  Ef  we 
bed  that  atween  us  and  this  breeze  we'd  be  all  right." 


150        The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox. 

"You  know  why  the  captain  did  not  land.  The  island 
disappeared  in  blue  mist.  He  says  it  is  not  located  on  the 
regular  chart,  but  that  he  has  heard  of  it  before,  and  it  is 
known  as  Phantom  Island.  It  is  not  known  that  any  per 
son  has  ever  landed  there,  and  some  think  it  is  a  mirage." 

"That's  one  uv  them  things  that  appear  to  be  somewhere 
when  they  ain't  anywhere  at  all." 

"Yes,  a  mirage  is  an  hallucination,  and  Phantom  Island 
seems  to  be  an  hallucination." 

"Then  there  ain't  any  danger  uv  aour  runnin'  her 
daown." 

"Hardly.  Our  danger  is  of  being  swamped  and  going 
to  the  bottom.  See  how  the  schooner  rolls." 

"I  can't  see  northin'  except  when  it  lightens,  an'  then's 
when  I'm  lookin'  at  the  big  waves.  Say,  Frank,  I'm  awful 
scat !  I  never  was  so  scat  before  in  all  my  born  days.  I 
wish " 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  blaze  of  white  lightning  that 
seemed  to  sear  the  eyeballs  and  illumine  the  entire 
heavens,  as  if  they  were  one  vast  sheet  of  flame.  The 
roar  of  thunder  which  followed  could  scarcely  be  heard 
above  the  roar  of  the  tempest  at  that  moment. 

The  wind  shrieked  and  howled  through  the  broken  and 
tangled  rigging  like  ten  thousand  fiends.  All  the  demons 
of  the  deep  seemed  to  have  broken  loose  and  attacked  the 
Sea  Fox. 

The  glare  of  lightning  showed  green  mountains  of 
water,  capped  with  snow-white  foam,  racing  past  with  the 
speed  of  an  express  train.  The  mighty  waves  threatened 
to  overwhelm  the  schooner,  which  was  foundering  about 
helplessly,  and  it  was  something  amazing  that  they  did 
not  succeed  without  delay. 

Sometimes  a  great  wave  would  break  over  the  vessel, 
and  it  would  seem  that  she  had  been  buried  in  an  instant, 


The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox.          151 

JBever  to  rise  again ;  but  she  would  struggle  up  to  the  sur 
face  and  continue  the  battle  for  life. 

Frank  was  astounded  by  the  vitality  of  the  schooner. 
A  hundred  times  he  had  fancied  all  was  over,  and  just  as 
many  times  the  Fox  had  come  through  the  swirling  waves 
and  refused  to  go  to  the  bottom. 

As  was  natural  with  Frank,  he  seemed  utterly  regard 
less  of  the  great  peril,  for  he  laughed  and  joked  whenever 
the  tempest  lulled  for  a  moment  so  he  could  make  his  com 
panion  hear. 

Those  who  are  often  in  peril  of  their  lives,  come,  after  a 
time,  to  regard  the  most  deadly  dangers  with  seeming  in 
difference.  Not  that  they  always  are  indifferent,  but  they 
are  almost  certain  to  be  fatalists,  and  they  feel  sure  they 
will  not  die  till  their  time  comes.  In  such  a  case,  it  is  as 
easy  to  relieve  the  nerves  by  laughing  as  in  any  other  way, 
and  so  they  laugh. 

Frank  asked  Ephraim  if  he  did  not  fear  the  motion 
would  unsettle  his  stomach,  asked  him  if  he  considered  a 
deep  sea  voyage  beneficial  to  a  person  in  robust  health, 
offered  to  bet  even  that  the  third  wave  to  break  over  the 
vessel  would  swamp  her,  offered  to  go  two  to  one  that  she 
would  ride  through  two  more  heavy  seas,  told  Ephraim 
he  was  no  sport,  and  then  sang  a  stanza  of  "I  Love  the 
Rolling  Sea." 

"Hang  me  ef  yeou  don't  beat  the  band!"  cried  the 
Yankee  lad.  "Yeou  don't  seem  ter  understand  we  ain't 
likely  ever  to  set  foot  on  dry  land  again." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  do,  and  I'd  be  willing  to  travel  around  in  the 
mud  a  while  if  I  could  get  ashore." 

"Wai,  I  never  heard  uv  a  feller  singin'  just  when  he  was 
in  danger  uv  goin'  to  the  bottom  uv  the  sea." 

"It's  likely  there  are  very  many  things  you  never  heard 
of,  old  man.  Here's  a  song  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 


152         The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox. 

Then  the  boy  sang  a  snatch  of  "My  Funeral's  To-mor 
row." 

"Keep  still,  Frank,"  cried  Ephraim.  "What  be  them 
fellers  doin'  of  over  there  ?" 

He  pointed  through  the  darkness,  and,  at  this  minute, 
there  was  a  glare  of  lightning  which  revealed  several  sail 
ors  at  work  near  one  of  the  boats. 

"The  fools  are  trying  to  launch  a  boat!"  exclaimed 
Frank,  amazed.  "A  boat  cannot  live  in  this  sea." 

"They  must  be  fools  to  leave  the  vessel  in  this  storm !" 

"Hark !" 

"What  is  it?" 

"Can  you  hear  that  roaring  above  the  sound  of  the 
storm  ?" 

"Seems  to  me  that  I  kin  hear  somethin'  uv  the  kind. 
What  is  it?" 

"I  don't  know,  but  it  sounds  like Breakers  ahead !" 

Another  glare  of  lightning  had  revealed  the  foaming 
mass  of  breakers  which  were  dashing  over  a  reef,  also 
showing  land  beyond  the  reef,  upon  which  the  schooner 
was  helplessly  driving. 

"Wai,  dern  my  skin !"  yelled  Ephraim  Gallup.  "I  didn't 
know  we  was  so  nigh  land !  What  place  kin  it  be  ?" 

"It  must  be  an  island.  Loose  your  lashings.  We  must 
take  to  the  boat.  The  schooner  will  go  down  quickly  when 
she  strikes.  Look ! — those  sailors  are  quarreling  over  the 
boat!  See  that  monster  wave!  We'll  be  swamped  this 
time  sure !  Hold  fast !" 

As  he  cried  "hold  fast,"  the  mountainous  billow  came 
rolling  across  the  deck,  sweeping  everything  before  it. 
The  schooner  shuddered,  creaking  and  groaning  in  every 
joint  and  seam.  She  seemed  beaten  under,  never  to  rise 
again. 

But  the  end  had  not  come,  for  the  mighty  wave  rolled 


The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox.         153 

on,  and  the  vessel  struggled  desperately  in  the  hollow  of 
the  sea,  like  a  wounded  creature  battling  for  life. 

"Ephraim." 

"Wai,  Frank?" 

"I  never  felt  greedy  before,  but  now  I  want  the  earth. 
We're  still  here.  But  where's  the  boat  those  sailors  were 
trying  to  launch  ?" 

"She's  gone !" 

"Sure  as  fate !" 

"Where?" 

"Swept  away  by  that  big  wave !" 

"That's  right,  by  gum !" 

"Some  of  the  sailors  must  have  been  swept  away,  also, 
for  I  can  see  but  four  fellows  left,  clinging  to  ropes." 

The  glare  of  lightning  which  had  revealed  this  much  to 
them  died  out  and  the  night  seemed  blacker  than  the  re 
mote  depths  of  a  bottomless  pit.  The  wind  raged  furi 
ously,  tearing  great  flaps  of  water  from  the  crests  of  the 
waves,  causing  the  broken  masts  of  the  schooner  to  creak 
and  bend,  and  driving  the  schooner  completely  under  now 
and  then. 

From  some  point  a  man  staggered  out  and  caught  hold 
of  Frank. 

"She  is  lost !"  said  a  deep,  hoarse  voice.  "She  will  go 
to  pieces  in  a  minute  on  the  reef !" 

"Captain  Scudd!"  shouted  Merriwell. 

"Ay,  ay,"  returned  the  old  sailor,  for  it  was  the  cap 
tain  of  the  Sea  Fox.  "Who  hails?  Who  have  I  made 
fast  to?" 

"I  am  Merriwell,  one  of  the  passengers." 

"Ah,  yes,  my  lad.  "And  you  are  made  fast  to  the  mast. 
You'd  better  cast  off  before  the  vessel  strikes,  for  you  may 
not  have  time  afterward.  She  will  go  down  in  a  hurry." 

"Is  there  no  show  of  escaping,  captain?" 


154         The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox. 

"The  last  boat  was  swept  away  by  the  big  sea  that  struck 
us  a  moment  ago.  The  men  were  trying  to  launch  her." 

"What  land  is  this  we  are  driving  on  ?" 

"It  must  be  the  island  we  sighted  this  afternoon." 

"The  one  you  called  Phantom  Island  ?" 

"Yes." 

"So  I  thought." 

A  bolt  of  lightning  rent  the  sky  asunder  and  showed 
them  the  Fox  was  now  right  upon  the  breakers.  The 
seething  water  was  hurling  itself  into  the  sky  every  time  a 
great  wave  struck  the  reef,  and  the  roar  of  this  tumult  be 
came  so  loud  that  no  further  words  could  be  heard. 

Frank  saw  that  there  was  but  a  moment  before  the  ves 
sel  must  strike,  and  he  quickly  unloosed  all  the  lashings 
which  held  himself  and  Ephraim  to  the  mast. 

They  had  taken  care  to  fasten  life-preservers  about 
their  bodies  before  securing  themselves  to  the  mast. 

The  boys  clung  to  each  other  in  the  awful  darkness, 
deafened  by  the  roar  of  the  breakers,  the  shrieking  of  the 
wind  and  the  detonations  of  the  thunder.  They  were  wait 
ing  for  the  crash  that  should  tell  the  schooner  had  struck. 

It  came ! 

The  shock  was  frightful,  and  a  glare  of  lightning 
showed  they  were  in  the  very  heart  of  the  breakers,  the 
white  waves  surging,  plunging,  and  leaping  about  them 
like  ten  thousand  mad  ghosts  in  revel. 

That  was  all  they  saw,  for  darkness  came  in  a  twinkling, 
the  sea  rolled  across  the  deck  of  the  Fox,  and  both  lads 
were  swept  away  in  the  grasp  of  the  triumphant  vortex. 

Frank  found  himself  utterly  helpless  in  the  grasp  of  the 
sea,  tossed  about  like  a  feather,  flung  high  on  the  crest  of 
a  billow  at  one  moment,  submerged  beneath  tons  of  water 
— as  it  seemed — the  next  moment,  whirled  about,  beaten 
upon  by  giant  hands,  torn  and  hurled  and  swung  and 
toyed  with. 


The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox.          155 

For  a  little  time  he  floated  gently  on  a  swell,  and  he 
was  just  beginning  to  believe  it  was  all  over,  and  was  con 
gratulating  himself  on  his  fortune  in  escaping  from  the 
mad  vortex  about  the  reef,  when  it  began  over  again,  and 
he  was  used  worse  than  before,  if  possible. 

No  creature  of  flesh  and  blood  could  endure  much  of 
that.  It  beat  strength  and  hope  and  life  out  of  a  person 
very  swiftly. 

Frank  was  dazed  and  bewildered.  He  had  thought  he 
might  be  able  to  swim  toward  the  island  if  he  were  for 
tunate  enough  to  get  through  the  breakers;  but  now  he 
had  not  the  least  idea  in  which  direction  the  island  lay. 

Strangled  by  the  salt  water,  coughing  and  choking  to 
clear  his  lungs,  he  made  no  struggle,  save  to  keep  afloat, 
letting  the  sea  bear  him  as  it  would. 

He  wondered  what  had  become  of  Ephraim  Gallup. 
They  had  been  torn  apart  by  the  great  wave  which  swept 
him  overboard.  Was  Ephraim  battling  with  the  waves, 
or  had  he  gone  to  the  bottom,  to  rise  no  more  ? 

One  thought  troubled  Frank  for  a  moment,  and  that 
was  that  he  had  lured  the  young  Vermonter  to  accom 
pany  him  in  traveling  about  the  world,  and  had  thus 
brought  him  into  frightful  peril — to  almost  certain  doom. 

But  this  thought  was  banished  in  a  moment,  for  he  felt 
himself  caught  in  a  whirling  eddy  and  sent  spinning 
around  and  around  till  all  creation  seemed  whirling,  too. 

Something  was  dragging  at  his  feet — sucking  him 
down ! 

"It  is  death!"  he  thought.  "If  I  am  dragged  under 
here,  I  shall  be  flung  up  a  corpse.  The  whirlpool  will 
hold  me  under  till  I  am  finished." 

Once  more  he  fought  with  all  his  energy,  although 
somewhat  weakened  by  what  he  had  passed  through. 

He  seemed  to  feel  a  great  weight  upon  his  feet,  but  he 
struggled  to  cast  it  off. 


156         The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox. 

Frank  was  a  splendid  swimmer,  and  he  did  not  waste 
his  strength  in  a  wild  and  fruitless  struggle.  Every  stroke 
of  foot  or  hand  was  to  a  purpose. 

Twice  he  went  under,  twice  he  came  back  to  the  surface 
through  his  almost  superhuman  efforts. 

Then,  all  at  once,  the  whirlpool  ceased  to  whirl,  a  great 
billow  rolled  smoothly  over  the  spot,  and  the  boy  was 
gently  carried  away  on  its  swelling  bosom. 

Once  more  it  seemed  that  he  had  escaped  the  turmoil 
about  the  reef,  and  that  he  would  be  able  to  keep  afloat 
with  ease.  There  was  something  gentle  and  restful  in  the 
swell  of  the  great  billow. 

As  he  arose  high  on  the  swell,  lightning  again  illumined 
the  sky.  He  looked  around  for  the  schooner,  but  saw 
nothing  of  it. 

It  had  been  shattered  on  the  reef,  and  had  gone  down ! 

Then  he  looked  for  the  island.  He  saw  it,  and  he  was 
about  to  head  toward  it  when  he  noticed,  close  at  hand,  a 
floating  spar. 

Three  or  four  strong  strokes  carried  the  boy  to  the 
stick,  over  which  he  flung  one  arm. 

"Thank  Heaven !" 

The  words  came  thickly  from  his  lips,  and  then  he  heard 
a  hoarse  yell  near  at  hand. 

Another  human  being  was  there ! 

"Who  say  dat?"  demanded  the  same  hoarse  voice  that 
had  uttered  the  cry. 

Frank  recognized  the  voice  as  belonging  to  one  of  the 
sailors,  a  Portuguese,  Vendas  Sardago,  by  name. 

Sardago  was  a  villainous  ruffian,  a  drunkard,  and  a 
brute.  But,  worse  than  anything  else,  he  hated  Frank 
Merriwell  with  the  most  deadly  hatred. 

Sardago,  partly  intoxicated,  had  insulted  Frank,  one 
day,  and  the  boy  had  boldly  resented  it.  The  dark-faced 
fellow  had  slapped  Frank  with  his  open  hand,  and,  to  his 


The  Wreck  of  the  Sea  Fox.          157 

unutterable  amazement,  had  been  knocked  down  in  a 
twinkling. 

.Completely  losing  his  head,  the  ruffian  snatched  out  a 
Ijyicked-looking  knife  and  rushed  at  the  unarmed  boy. 

By  a  nimble  duck  and  dodge,  Frank  avoided  the  deadly 
stroke  of  the  knife,  although  the  keen  point  ripped  open 
the  sleeve  of  his  coat  from  shoulder  to  elbow. 

Then  the  lad  snatched  up  a  belaying  pin,  met  the  en 
raged  brute  fairly,  rapped  him  on  the  wrist  and  benumbed 
his  hand  so  he  dropped  the  knife,  after  which  the  belaying 
pin  descended  on  Sardago's  skull  and  stretched  the  wretch 
flat  on  the  deck. 

For  this  offense,  the  Portuguese  had  been  placed  in 
irons  and  confined  in  the  hold,  to  be  turned  over  for  trial 
at  the  first  port. 

When  the  storm  came  on,  knowing  the  schooner  might 
be  wrecked,  Captain  Scudd  ordered  Sardago  released 
from  irons,  that  the  fellow  might  have  a  chance  for  his 
life. 

The  moment  Frank  knew  Sardago  was  clinging  to  the 
spar  he  felt  that  he  was  in  danger  of  an  attack,  for  he  was 
certain  the  Portuguese  was  one  who  never  forgot  or  for 
gave. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SARDAGO. 

Frank  remained  quiet,  but  he  soon  felt  a  hand  that 
clutched  his  arm,  and  once  more  the  voice  of  the  Portu 
guese  demanded: 

"Who  say  dat?    Who  spik?" 

Still  the  boy  remained  silent. 

"Dat  you,  Dalfors  ?"  snarled  Sardago.  "Why  do  don't 
spik  to  me  ?  You  lost-a  dat  tongue  you  be  so  sassy  wid  ?" 

Dalfors  was  a  Danish  sailor,  a  rascal,  like  Sardago,  but 
something  of  a  coward  when  he  could  not  be  a  bully.  Sar 
dago  had  used  the  Dane  as  a  tool  in  many  ways,  and  they 
often  quarreled. 

In  a  moment  Frank  decided  what  he  would  do.  He  was 
a  capital  mimic,  and  he  could  imitate  the  voice  of  any  per 
son  he  had  heard  speak  a  few  times.  He  determined  to 
imitate  the  voice  of  the  Dane,  who  spoke  very  good  Eng 
lish. 

"Yes,  it  is  me,"  he  answered,  thickly.  "Are  you  Sar 
dago?" 

"I  t'ink  you  know-a  my  voice  by  dis  time-a.  Why  you 
no  answer  quick  ?" 

"I  was  afraid — didn't  know  who  was  there." 

"Dat  it?  You  have-a  de  chicken  heart,  Dalfors.  You 
no-a  good  at  all." 

"This  storm  is  enough  to  make  anybody  have  a  chicken 
heart.  The  schooner  went  down  in  a  minute." 

"To  blazes  wid  de  schooner!  What  you  care  if  dat 
schooner  go  down,  ha?  You  don't  have-a  somebody  you 
love-a  on  dat  schooner,  eh  ?" 


Sardago.  159 

"No ;  I  hate  them  all !" 

"Me-a,  too.  Dat  Merriwell  boy  I  hate-a  worst  of  all. 
Next  to  dat  boy  I  hate-a  Cap'n  Scudd-a.  Dey  all  go  down 
wid  de  schooner,  j^ct  dem  go." 

"Yes,  let  them  go." 

"All  dat  mek  me  feel  bad-a  is  dat  I  no-a  gitty  chance  to 
cut  de  t'roat  of  dat  Merriwell  boy." 

This  was  pleasant  information  for  Frank.  If  Sardago 
escaped  to  the  island,  and  Frank  was  fortunate  enough  to 
reach  the  same  land,  it  would  be  necessary  for  the  boy  to 
look  out  for  the  Portuguese. 

Merriwell  remained  silent  till  Sardago  demanded : 

"You  dere,  Dalfors?    You  no-a  slippy  off?" 

"No ;  I'm  here." 

"T'ink  we  gitty  shore?" 

"Don't  know." 

Sardago  snarled  like  an  angry  dog. 

"  'Course  you  don't  know !    What  you  tink  'bout  it  ?" 

"We  may." 

"If  we  do  dat  it  may  be  we " 

Sardago  was  interrupted  by  a  vivid  blaze  of  lightning 
and  a  rending  peal  of  thunder.  The  lightning  lasted  sev 
eral  seconds,  and  the  Portuguese  sailor  looked  across  the 
spar  and  saw  Frank  clinging  there.  He  looked  around  in 
astonishment  for  Dalfors,  but  saw  nothing  of  the  fellow 
with  whom  he  had  fancied  he  was  talking. 

When  the  thunder  died  out  Sardago  screamed : 

"You  mek  fool  of  me-a,  ha!  You  mek  me-a  t'ink  you 
be  Dalfors,  eh !  Ha !  ha !  ha !  Dat  lightning  gif  you  'way. 
Now  I  know-a  who  you  be.  You  dat  Merriwell  boy  dat 
I  hate." 

"That's  right,  you  old  pirate,"  returned  Frank.  "I  am 
the  very  boy.  I  did  fool  you  for  a  short  time." 

"You  pay  for  dat!" 

Frank  shifted  his  position  quickly,  knowing  the  Portu- 


160  Sardago. 

guese  was  trying  to  clutch  him  in  the  darkness.  But  the 
seething  sea  was  dragging  at  him,  as  if  trying  to  pull  him 
from  the  spar  and  carry  him  to  the  bottom,  so  he  dared 
not  let  go  his  hold  on  the  stick  for  a  moment. 

He  felt  that  Sardago  was  following  him  up,  and  he  re 
treated  to  the  very  end  of  the  timber.  Just  as  the  end  was 
reached  he  felt  himself  clutched  by  powerful  hands,  and 
the  hateful  voice  of  the  villainous  sailor  triumphantly 
cried : 

"Now  I  haf  you,  Merriwell  boy!  Now  I  feex  you 
sure!" 

The  lightning  blazed  again,  and  the  thunder  roared. 
The  glare  of  light  showed  Frank  the  distorted,  ferocious 
face  of  his  enemy  close  at  hand — showed  that  Sardago 
held  a  long,  bright  knife  in  his  upraised  hand. 

"Now  I  feex  you,  Merriwell !"  howled  the  sailor. 

Then  darkness  fell  again  on  the  storm-tossed  sea. 

Frank  had  seen  Sardago  strike,  and  he  felt  himself  un 
able  to  break  from  the  man's  clutch.  Upward  he  flung  one 
hand,  and,  by  rare  good  fortune,  he  caught  the  wrist  of 
the  Portuguese  sailor. 

That  saved  his  life. 

Realizing  how  fortunate  he  had  been,  Frank  gave  a 
sudden  twisting  wrench,  seeming  to  have  the  strength  of 
a  Samson. 

A  cry  broke  from  Sardago's  lips,  and  the  knife  dropped 
and  sank  into  the  sea. 

For  a  single  moment  Frank  seemed  unable  to  realize 
that  he  had  escaped  the  stroke  of  the  knife.  Then  he  heard 
Sardago  howl : 

"I  killy  you  yet !    I  choky  you,  Merriwell  1" 

One  of  the  fellow's  pudgy  hands  fastened  on  Frank's 
throat  with  a  vise-like  grip,  seeming  to  crush  flesh  and 
bone. 


Sardago.  161 

In  a  moment  the  boy  found  himself  vainly  striving  to 
breathe. 

Frank  grasped  the  man's  wrist  with  both  hands,  gave  a 
great  surge,  and  tore  the  fingers  from  his  throat. 

Sardago  snarled  and  raved,  trying  to  renew  the  clutch. 

"I  killy  you  yet !"  he  kept  repeating,  shrilly. 

"It's  a  battle  for  life !"  thought  Frank. 

The  Portuguese  seemed  insane  with  fury;  his  one 
thought  seemed  to  be  to  destroy  the  boy  he  hated  so  in 
tensely. 

Frank  was  waiting  for  another  flash  of  lightning,  hop 
ing  to  strike  his  enemy  a  blow  that  would  turn  the  battle. 

The  flash  came,  and  the  boy  struck  at  the  temple  of  his 
furious  foe ;  but  Sardago  struck  at  the  same  time,  his  hard 
fist  landing  fairly  between  Frank's  eyes. 

The  boy  fell  back  and  seemed  to  sink  beneath  the  waves, 
the  prolonged  glare  of  lightning  gleaming  on  his  white 
face  as  it  vanished  in  the  water. 

"Ha !  ha !  ha !"  screamed  Sardago.  "Dat  feex  him !  If 
I  no-a  gitty  ashore,  I  am  sure  dat  Merriwell  boy  no-a  gitty 
dere.  He  is  deat !" 

But  Frank  was  not  dead.  He  had  been  slightly  stunned, 
and  a  sort  of  undertow  had  sucked  him  beneath  the  sur 
face  for  an  instant ;  but  he  wore  a  life-preserver,  and  that 
quickly  brought  him  back  to  the  air. 

Darkness  encompassed  him,  and  once  more  he  felt  the 
sea  buffeting  him  about  in  a  merciless  manner.  His  sole 
effort  was  to  keep  his  head  above  the  surface  and  wait  for 
another  flash  of  lightning. 

When  the  lightning  came  he  looked  about  for  Sardago 
and  the  spar,  but  saw  nothing  of  them. 

He  saw  something  else,  however — something  that  filled 
him  with  hope  and  joy. 

The  shore  of  the  island  was  near  at  hand. 


1 62  Sardago. 

Heading  toward  the  beach,  upon  which  the  surf  was 
rolling  in  mountainous  combers,  Frank  swam  for  his  life. 

In  a  very  short  time  he  was  in  the  surf. 

But  right  there  began  the  most  desperate  struggle  of 
all,  for  the  undertow  dragged  him  back  whenever  the  great 
rollers  carried  him  up  on  the  beach. 

Three  times  he  was  carried  far  up  by  a  great  roller,  and 
three  times  the  receding  water  dragged  him  back  and  tried 
to  suck  him  away  beneath  the  surface  of  the  angry  sea. 

His  strength  was  almost  gone.  He  felt  that  he  must 
succeed  next  time,  for  he  would  not  have  energy  enough 
to  try  it  again.  The  undertow  would  accomplish  its  mur- 
derous  design  if  it  dragged  him  back  again. 

Frank  never  gave  up  as  long  as  life  and  strength  re 
mained,  and  his  unconquerable  spirit  had  carried  him 
through  many  deadly  perils.  Even  now,  although  he  had 
failed  three  times,  he  felt  that  he  must  safely  reach  the 
shore  next  time. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  while  this  desperate  struggle 
for  life  was  going  on,  the  boy's  thoughts  were  not  entirely 
of  himself.  He  wondered  what  he  should  find  on  the  is 
land,  if  it  were  inhabited,  if  he  would  be  the  first  white 
person  to  come  ashore  there,  and  many  other  things.  At 
last  he  thought  of  Ephraim,  and  reproached  himself  that 
the  boy  from  Vermont  had  come  to  his  death  through  his 
instrumentality. 

Then  the  lightning  came  again,  and  Frank  found  him 
self  swept  toward  the  shore  by  another  great  wave.  He 
reserved  all  his  energies  for  the  last  fierce  struggle,  and, 
as  the  water  turned,  he  strove  to  get  his  feet  beneath  him 
and  cling  to  the  sand. 

Never  in  all  his  life  did  Frank  Merriwell  put  forth 
greater  exertions,  but  the  power  of  the  water  was  too 
much  for  him  in  his  battered  and  breathless  condition. 


Sardago.  163 

His  feet  were  torn  from  the  sand,  and  he  was  dragged 
back  for  the  fourth  time. 

That  seemed  the  fatal  time,  for  the  undertow  swirled 
about  his  legs  and  seemed  to  tie  him  in  a  helpless  condition 
amid  a  maze  of  shifting  cords.  It  held  him  powerless  for 
all  of  his  efforts ;  it  drew  him  under,  and  it  held  him  down. 

Then  he  fancied  he  saw  a  most  amazing  spectacle,  for, 
although  darkness  and  storm  were  on  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  it  seemed  that  light  and  calm  lay  down  below.  All 
about  him  were  rainbow  colors,  shooting  stars,  flowers  of 
fire,  and  living  things  of  light.  He  heard  sweet  music  and 
soft  bells  ringing  gleefully.  A  feeling  of  peace  and  con 
tentment  came  over  him,  and  he  struggled  no  more.  The 
music  became  sadder,  and  the  sweet  bells  changed  to  a 
funereal  tolling  far,  far  away. 

"This  is  a  delightful  death,"  thought  Frank  Merriwell. 

The  music  died  away,  the  bells  ceased  to  toll,  the  beau 
tiful  lights  faded,  and  darkness  and  oblivion  came  to  the 
boy  who  had  succumbed  to  the  exulting,  triumphant  sea. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

EVIL  FACES. 

"Frank!" 

A  low  moan  was  the  answer. 

"Frank,  wake  up !  I've  rolled  barrels  of  water  out  of 
ye  alreddy,  an'  I  be  gol  derned  ef  I  believe  I  kin  git  any 
more  aout." 

"Oh,  why  didn't  you  let  me  stay  dead !" 

"Not  by  a  blamed  sight!  What  do  yeou  take  me  for, 
Frank  Merriwell !  I  ain't  that  kind  uv  a  feller." 

"But  it  was  so  easy,  so  beautiful — and  you  have  made 
me  suffer  so  much !" 

"That's  all  right,  by  gum !  Yeou  was  deader'n  a  door 
nail  when  I  pulled  ye  aout ;  but  resussytatin'  persons  who 
was  draownded  was  one  uv  the  things  we  learned  at  Far- 
dale,  an'  I  jest  went  at  it  to  see  if  I  could  make  it  work.  I 
done  it  all  right,  by  thutter !" 

The  boys  were  beneath  the  shelter  of  a  ledge  far  up 
the  beach,  and  there  Ephraim  had  built  a  bright  little  fire, 
which  was  protected  from  the  force  of  the  wind  by  a  pro 
jection  of  the  rocky  bluff. 

Frank  lay  groaning  on  the  sand,  while  the  Vermonter 
sat  near  him,  getting  as  much  benefit  as  possible  from  the 
warmth  of  the  fire. 

"Oh,  it  was  so  beautiful  down  there  under  the  sea!" 
sighed  Frank. 

"An*  yeou  wanted  to  stay !  I  be  hung  ef  that  air  don't 
beat  my  time !" 

"How  did  I  get  out  of  the  water,  anyway,  Ephraim  ?" 

"I  pulled  ye  aout." 


Evil  Faces.  165 

"And  you — how  did  you  reach  shore  ?" 

"Dunno.  I  swum  fer  all  I  was  wuth,  an'  a  blamed  sight 
more,  I  guess.  Fust  wave  that  flung  me  up  on  the  shore 
was  a  ripper,  an'  it  jest  lammed  me  high  an'  dry,  an'  left 
me  there.  I  got  aout  uv  the  way  frum  the  water  soon's 
I  could." 

"You  were  fortunate.  I  tried  four  times  to  reach  the 
shore,  but  was  sucked  back  every  time.  The  last  time  the 
undertow  dragged  me  down,  and  I  could  not  reach  the 
surface.  I  saw  beautiful  sights  and  heard  sweet  music. 
The  next  thing  I  know  you  were  at  work  on  me,  and  I  was 
suffering  the  most  intense  agony." 

"An'  yeou  kicked,  cause  I  didn't  let  ye  stay  dead !" 

"At  first — but  I  am  beginning  to  be  glad  you  brought 
me  around,  old  man.  I  am  feeling  a  little  better." 

Frank  sat  up,  placing  his  back  against  the  ledge,  and 
stretching  his  feet  out  toward  the  fire. 

"As  I  went  under,"  he  said,  "I  was  reviling  myself  for 
having  brought  you  into  such  danger ;  but  now  I  am  well 
satisfied  to  think  I  did  so,  for  I'd  remained  drowned  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  you." 

"By  gum !  that's  right." 

"You  are  a  great  traveling  companion,  Ephraim,  even 
though  you  did  get  smashed  on  that  little  Chilian  girl, 
Pepita,  and  make  it  necessary  for  me  to  almost  kidnap 
you  in  order  to  get  you  away  from  her." 

The  boy  from  Vermont  laughed  in  a  bashful  way. 

"Why,  hang  it,  Frank !"  he  said,  "she  was  the  most  be- 
witchin'  little  black-eyed  minx  I  ever  saw.  I  jest  couldn't 
resist  her." 

"That  was  evident.  She'd  had  you  hitched  to  her  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  me." 

"Wai,  you  can't  say  much,  fer  yeou  cut  a  purty  wide 
swath  with  the  gals  yourself.  Ev'rywhere  yeou  go  you 


166  Evil  Faces. 

have  gals  arter  ye,  an'  ef  there's  any  on  this  air  island, 
you'll  have  one  arter  ye  afore  ye  leave  here." 

Frank  laughed  a  bit. 

"It's  not  always  my  fault,  Ephraim,"  he  declared. 

"I  know  that.  Hang  ef  it  don't  seem  funny  haow  the 
gals  git  smashed  on  ye.  I  can't  understand  it,  though  I 
will  admit  you're  a  rattlin'  good  feller  an'  handsome.  It's 
a  wonder  to  me  that  Pepita  didn't  take  to  yeou,  instead  uv 
me." 

"It  is  well  she  didn't,  and  it  was  well  for  you  that  I 
dragged  you  away  from  her." 

"Oh,  I  dunno.    Pepita  was  a  mighty  fine  gal." 

"That  may  be  true ;  but  you're  altogether  too  young  to 
get  hitched  to  any  girl.  That's  what  I  think  of  myself." 

"An*  goodness  knows  yeou've  hed  chances  enough. 
There  was  Inza  Burrage,  Elsie  Bellwood  and  any  amaount 
uv  other  ones." 

"Don't  speak  of  them !"  entreated  Frank.  "It  makes  me 
homesick !" 

The  thunder  and  lightning  had  almost  entirely  ceased, 
but  the  surf  was  booming  on  the  shore  with  a  constant 
roar,  and  the  wind  howled  across  the  sea.  The  dripping 
lads  shivered  and  drew  still  further  back  into  the  lee  of  the 
projecting  ledge. 

They  removed  some  of  their  clothing,  wrung  out  as 
much  water  as  possible,  and  hung  the  garments  near  the 
fire. 

"How  did  you  succeed  in  lighting  this  blaze?"  asked 
Frank. 

"I  alwus  kerry  a  waterproof  matchsafe,  and  my  matches 
warn't  even  damp,  by  ginger !" 

"That  was  good  luck,  and  I  have  some  of  my  own.  We 
must  treasure  them,  for  they  may  prove  far  more  precious 
than  gold.  It  is  possible  we  are  on  a  deserted  island." 


Evil  Faces.  167 

"Ef  that's  so  we'll  take  possession  uv  it  in  ther  name  uv 
ther  United  States  uv  Ameriky,  by  gum !" 

"And  it  may  be  inhabited  by  a  tribe  of  savages." 

"Mebbe  Austin  Ross'  lost  heiress  is  on  this  island." 

"I  fancy  his  lost  heiress  was  a  myth — a  fancy  of  his 
cracked  brain,  for  he  never  seemed  more  than  half  sane, 
poor  fellow !" 

"Wai,  he's  gone  to  the  bottom  with  the  rest,  an'  he  won't 
search  no  more  for  Ethel  Driscoll,  the  lost  heiress." 

The  boys  were  speaking  of  a  third  passenger  on  board 
the  Sea  Fox,  an  eccentric  man  of  about  thirty,  who  told  a 
strange  story,  which,  on  account  of  the  man's  peculiar 
manner,  no  one  fully  believed. 

Ross  had  claimed  to  be  in  search  of  a  girl  by  the  name 
of  Ethel  Driscoll,  the  daughter  of  a  sea  captain.  Boman 
Driscoll  had  been  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the  deep,  and 
his  daughter  had  accompanied  him.  For  a  number  of 
years  nothing  had  been  heard  of  Captain  Driscoll  and  his 
daughter. 

At  last,  Jared  Stone,  brother  to  Captain  Driscoll's  dead 
wife,  and  uncle  to  Ethel,  had  died  in  California,  leaving  a 
great  fortune  to  the  girl  if  she  could  be  found.  In  his 
will  he  had  offered  a  large  reward  to  the  one  who  should 
find  her,  and  prove  her  identity. 

Austin  Ross,  a  roving  sort  of  fellow,  had  fancied  he  saw 
his  opportunity  to  make  a  big  haul  by  finding  the  girl  and 
obtaining  the  reward.  He  had  traced  Captain  Driscoll  to 
Buenos  Ayres,  according  to  his  statement,  and  had  found 
the  captain  had  sailed  for  China  by  way  of  South  Africa. 

Ross'  capital  was  limited,  but  his  faith  and  determina 
tion  were  great,  and  so  he  took  passage  with  Captain 
Scudd,  resolved  to  keep  up  the  search  as  long  as  there  was 
any  chance  of  finding  the  lost  heiress. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  the  self-constituted  detective 
was  on  the  Sea  Fox  when  the  schooner  was  wrecked. 


168  Evil  Faces. 

Frank  told  Ephraim  of  his  struggle  with  Sardago. 

"Gol  ding  that  critter!"  cried  the  boy  from  Vermont 
"I  hope  to  thutteration  he  was  drowned !" 

"It  would  be  no  loss,"  said  Frank.  "He  and  Dalfors, 
the  Dane,  made  a  pretty  pair.  Sardago  was  the  leader, 
but  Dalfors  was  bad  enough." 

Ephraim  felt  around  in  one  of  his  pockets  and  brought 
forth  a  revolver. 

"Come  nigh  fergittin'  it,"  he  said.  "Guess  I'll  clean 
her  up  an'  dry  her  off." 

"That's  right,"  nodded  Frank,  feeling  in  his  own 
pockets,  and  taking  out  two  revolvers.  "We  may  need 
these  weapons,  and  need  them  bad.  Have  you  any  car 
tridges?" 

"Only  what's  in  the  revolver." 

"And  I  am  in  the  same  fix.  We  must  treasure  them 
with  the  matches,  for  they  may  save  our  lives.  We  must 
fire  a  shot  only  when  driven  to  the  most  desperate  strait." 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  scraping  sound  on  the  ledge 
above,  and  a  loose  stone  came  bounding  downward,  fall 
ing  between  the  two  lads  who  leaped  to  their  feet,  weapons 
in  hand. 

Looking  upward,  the  firelight  showed  them  two  evil 
faces  peering  down  over  the  ledge — the  faces  of  Dalfors 
and  Sardago! 

"Gosh !" 

Ephraim  flung  up  his  hand  and  pointed  his  revolver 
straight  at  the  face  of  the  Portuguese. 

"Hold !" 

Frank  clutched  the  hand  of  his  friend,  preventing  him 
from  firing  the  intended  shot. 

"What's  the  matter  with  ye,  Frank?"  demanded  Eph 
raim,  excitedly.  "Can't  ye  see  what's  up  there  ?  It's  them 
two  skunks !" 

"I  see." 


Evil  Faces.  169 

"Wai,  why  didn't  ye  let  me  shoot?" 

"Remember  what  we  were  saying,  just  now,  about  treas 
uring  our  cartridges.  You  might  waste  one  of  them." 

"Not  ef  I  shot  one  uv  them  snakes !" 

"But  you  might  miss  at  that  distance,  and  when  you 
shoot  at  either  one  of  them  you  want  to  be  near  enough 
to  make  sure  of  your  man." 

"By  gum,  that's  right!  You're  'most  alwus  right, 
Frank.  But  jest  you  think  uv  it — Sardago  an'  Dalfors 
was  both  of  um  there." 

"Dat  is  right-a,"  called  a  harsh,  hateful  voice,  and  the 
face  of  the  Portuguese  appeared  again  over  the  edge  of 
the  ledge.  "Sardago  and  Dalfors  bote  is  here,  ha !  You 
t'ink  Sardago  drown?  Not  water  'nuff  in  de  ocean  to 
drown  Sardago." 

"That's  right,  gol  dern  ye!"  flung  back  Ephraim. 
"You're  born  ter  be  hanged,  an'  so  ye  won't  be  drownded." 

Sardago  snarled. 

"If  I  be  hanged,  you  never  see  me.  Ha !  We  gif  you 
hot  time-a  on  dis  island.  Dat  Merriwell  boy  de  one  I 
look-a  for." 

"And  I  shall  look  for  you,"  declared  Frank.  "You  will 
find  me  ready  for  you  when  we  meet  again." 

"Dat  so  ?  Well,  Dalfors  did  not  lost-a  his  knife.  I  let 
him  get  me  to  take-a  dat  knife.  Ha !  Nex'  time  I  feex 
you!" 

"You  will  have  to  do  it  when  I  am  asleep." 

"I  do  it  some  time,  you  bet !" 

"That's  right,  Sardago,"  growled  the  voice  of  Dalfors. 
"We'll  need  meat  to  eat  on  this  island,  and  them  boys  will 
make  us  good  supply." 

"You'll  make  two  first-class  cannibals;  but,  so  far  as 
we  are  concerned,  you'll  have  to  catch  your  birds  before 
you  cook 


I  yo  Evil  Faces. 

"Ah,  you  make-a  me-a  sick!"  howled  Sardago,  rising 
a  bit.  Mebby  I  feex  you  now !" 

His  hand  swung  over  his  head. 

Whizz! 

Frank  dodged,  and  barely  avoided  a  stone  as  large  as 
a  man's  fist,  which  the  Portuguese  had  flung  with  great 
force  and  accuracy.  If  the  boy  had  not  dodged,  the  stone 
would  have  struck  him  on  the  head,  and  it  must  have 
cracked  his  skull. 

Dalfors  rose  up,  and  flung  one  at  Ephraim,  but  his  aim 
was  not  as  good  as  that  of  his  comrade  in  villainy,  and  the 
Yankee  boy  was  not  obliged  to  dodge. 

Frank  held  his  revolvers  in  his  hands,  and  he  imme 
diately  took  aim  at  Sardago,  who  uttered  a  defiant  cry,  and 
dropped  out  of  sight. 

"This  is  gittin'  kinder  warm !"  observed  Ephraim. 

"Come  on!"  cried  Frank,  loudly.  "We'll  find  a  way 
up  the  rocks,  and  we'll  shoot  the  ruffians  if  we  come  upon 
them." 

He  shouted  the  words  for  the  two  ruffians  to  hear,  and 
then  he  led  the  way  around  the  point  and  up  over  the 
rocks. 

It  was  a  severe  climb,  and  not  a  trace  of  the  two  scoun 
drels  could  be  found  when  the  top  was  reached.  They 
had  taken  the  alarm  and  fled  from  the  spot,  not  caring  to 
face  the  boys'  revolvers. 

"We  have  not  seen  the  last  of  them,"  said  Frank,  re 
gretfully.  "They'll  give  us  no  end  of  trouble." 

"They're  sure  to  give  us  trouble,"  agreed  Ephraim. 

"And  it  is  not  going  to  be  healthy  to  return  to  the  fire 
and  remain  there,  for  they  know  where  we  are." 

"Naow  you're  talkin'." 

"They  might  come  back,  creep  close  upon  us,  and  make 
a  sudden  attack,  -with  the  chances  much  in  their  favor." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  BLACK  MEN. 

It  did  not  take  the  boys  long  to  decide  to  move  from 
that  locality.  They  returned  to  the  fire,  gathered  up  their 
clothing,  and  moved  without  delay. 

It  was  a  long,  weary  search  for  shelter,  but  they  finally 
found  a  favorable  spot,  and  there  they  remained  during 
the  rest  of  the  night,  although  they  did  not  dare  light  a 
fire,  as  the  light  from  it  would  be  very  likely  to  betray 
them  to  their  enemies. 

Frank  was  thoroughly  disgusted,  but  he  kept  still  and 
allowed  Ephraim  to  grumble,  which  the  Vermont  lad  did, 
to  a  very  large  extent. 

Both  boys  were  much  relieved  when  morning  came. 

"Now,"  said  Frank,  "we  will  light  a  fire  and  keep  watch 
for  those  two  snakes.  They  will  see  the  smoke  and  locate 
U9  but  we'll  make  the  fire  where  they'll  not  be  able  to 
creep  upon  us  without  being  seen." 

"An'  we've  got  ter  have  something  fer  breakfast," 
groaned  Ephraim.  "I'm  as  holler  inside  as  a  bass  drum, 
by  gum !" 

"I  feel  the  need  of  sleep  more  than  anything,"  said 
Frank ;  "but  I  will  admit  that  I  am  decidedly  hungry." 

The  sun  came  up  and  shone  upon  the  still  tossing  sea, 
which  was  covered  with  white  caps,  but  it  showed  no  sign 
of  the  unfortunate  schooner,  save  some  tangled  wreckage 
flung  high  upon  the  sandy  beach. 

Back  from  the  shore  the  island  seemed  heavily  wooded, 
and  a  lofty,  barren  mountain  arose  some  miles  inland. 

"This    is    Phantom    Island,    sure    enough,"    declared 


172  The  Black  Men. 

Frank.  "Don't  you  know  how  we  looked  at  that  mountain 
through  the  captain's  glass  ?" 

Ephraim  nodded. 

"It's  the  same  mountain,  sure  shootin',"  he  agreed. 

"Then  it  is  quite  likely  we  are  the  first  white  men  to  set 
foot  on  this  island,  if  what  we  hear  about  the  place  is  true. 
It  seems  that  it  has  a  habit  of  disappearing  in  a  cloud  of 
mist  whenever  a  vessel  tries  to  approach  it." 

"We  may  be  the  only  livin'  critters  on  here,  except  Sar- 
dago  and  Dalfors." 

"Oh,  I  am  sure  there  are  birds  and  beasts  in  those 
forests." 

"Wai,  I  feel  as  if  I'd  like  ter  have  a  few  dozen  roasted 
birds  ur  beasts  jest  abaout  naow,"  groaned  the  Yankee 
boy,  with  his  hands  pressed  to  his  stomach. 

"Let's  go  down  and  see  what  we  can  find  along  the 
shore." 

"We  can't  find  northin'  to  eat  there." 

"But  we  may  be  able  to  find  something.    Come  on." 

Along  the  beach  they  went,  searching  amid  the  wreck 
age  flung  upon  the  sand.  It  was  some  time  before  they 
found  anything  of  value.  At  last,  however,  a  shout  of 
satisfaction  came  from  Frank,  and  Ephraim  saw  his  com 
panion  bending  over  a  barrel. 

"What  is  it  ?"  eagerly  cried  the  Vermonter,  as  he  rushed 
toward  the  spot.  "What  have  you  f aound,  Frank  ?" 

"Something  that  will  keep  us  from  starving,"  was  the 
exultant  reply.  "I  can't  conceive  how  this  barrel  reached 
shore  without  losing  its  entire  contents,  for  one  end  is 
out." 

"What's  in  it?" 

"Look  and  see." 

Ephraim  peered  into  the  barrel,  and  then  he  whooped 
•with  delight. 


The  Black  Men.  173 

"Salt  pork,  by  gum !"  he  yelled.  "That  settles  it !  We'U 
have  somethin'  to  eat  to-day,  by  thutteration !" 

The  barrel  had  two  or  three  layers  of  pork  in  the  bot 
tom,  and  this  had  served  as  ballast,  so  it  had  ridden  out 
the  storm  and  been  flung  upon  the  shore. 

"Where'll  we  git  our  water,  Frank?"  asked  Ephraim. 
"We'll  need  some  fresh  water." 

"Build  a  fire,"  directed  the  other  boy.  "I  will  agree  to 
find  water.  Get  a  move  on  now,  for  I  am  beginning  to 
feel  a  bit  hungry  myself." 

They  had  rolled  the  barrel  up  on  the  beach,  and  Frank 
selected  several  pieces  of  pork,  with  which  he  ran  toward 
the  rocky  ledges.  Amid  the  ledges  he  found  numerous 
hollows  filled  with  rain  water,  and  the  pork  was  soon 
soaking. 

Then  Frank  went  back  to  help  Ephraim  about  the  fire. 

In  a  short  time  the  boys  had  a  blaze  going,  and  they 
were  discussing  how  they  would  cook  the  pork  when,  of 
a  sudden,  a  most  startling  and  unexpected  thing  occurred. 

At  least  two  score  of  black  men  burst  from  the  forest 
and  came  rushing  toward  the  lads,  brandishing  spears, 
bows,  and  arrows,  and  other  weapons,  while  they  yelled 
loudly. 

"Great  Scott !" 

"Gosh  all  thutter!" 

Frank  uttered  the  first  exclamation,  and  Ephraim  fol 
lowed  closely  with  one  of  his  characteristic  ejaculations. 

"We're  ketched!"  panted  the  Vermonter,  utterly  dis 
mayed. 

"Right,"  nodded  Frank. 

The  nearly  naked  black  men  had  spread  out  in  a  semi 
circle,  completely  cutting  off  flight  inland,  and  the  trapped 
lads  could  not  take  to  the  sea. 

"Shall  we  fight?"  fluttered  Ephraim,  fingering  his  re 
volver. 


174  The  Black  Men. 

"It  would  be  useless,"  Frank  quickly  said.  "There  art 
so  many  of  them,  and  we  have  so  few  shots,  that  they 
jvould  overpower  us  any  way.  We  must  not  anger  them." 

"But  they'll  run  us  through  with  their  spears,  sure  as 
shootin'." 

"Up  with  your  hands !" 

So  both  lads  flung  up  their  hands,  as  a  token  that  they 
surrendered. 

The  black  men  were  headed  by  a  gigantic  fellow  who 
seemed  to  be  their  leader,  and  who  was  a  magnificently 
built  giant.  At  a  signal  from  him,  the  spears  were  low 
ered,  and  then  the  boys  were  most  astounded  to  hear  the 
giant  say : 

"Um  white  boys  heap  good  sense.  White  boys  fight, 
urn  both  be  killed  in  no  time." 

"Jee-rusalem  crickets!"  squealed  Ephraim.  "He  kin 
talk  United  States !  Who'd  a  thought  anything  like  that !" 

"It  is  rather  surprising,"  admitted  Frank,  coolly.  "He 
must  have  learned  it  of  the  white  men  he  has  eaten." 

"What's  that?"  squawked  the  Vermont  boy,  in  terror. 
"You  don't  mean  that  these  air  critters  is  cannibals  ?" 

"They  may  be." 

"Great  gosh !    Why  didn't  we  run  fast  as  we  could !" 

"We  weren't  given  a  chance  to  run.    They  had  us  foul." 

The  black  men  were  jabbering  among  themselves,  point 
ing  at  the  boys,  and  laughing  with  satisfaction. 

"I  should  judge  by  appearances  that  they  are  very  fond 
of  white  men,"  said  Frank,  in  his  usual  bantering  man 
ner  when  in  peril.  "They  seem  to  admire  us  very  much." 

Ephraim  groaned. 

"These  critters  is  wuss  than  Sardago  and  Dalfors,"  he 
said. 

All  at  once,  at  a  signal  from  the  giant  leader,  the  lads 
jvere  seized,  held  helpless  and  searched.  The  revolvers 


The  Black  Men.  175 

were  found  and  taken  from  them,  and  everything  that 
could  serve  as  a  weapon  was  appropriated. 

Ephraim  made  a  slight  show  of  resistance,  but  gave  in 
quickly,  seeing  that  Frank  submitted  quietly. 

"What  ye  goin't  to  do,  let  'em  butcher  ye  'thout  doin'  a 
thing  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  shaky  voice. 

"What  can  we  do  ?"  asked  the  other  boy.  "We  are  help 
less  in  their  hands,  and  it  is  folly  to  struggle." 

"Um  white  boy  got  great  heap  sense,"  said  the  giant 
leader,  with  approval.  Him  fight,  him  git  killed  now. 
Him  be  quiet  him  git  killed  when  Musweno  say." 

"Are  you  Musweno  ?" 

"No. "  Me  Bondalwe." 

"Who  is  Musweno  ?" 

"King." 

"Where  is  he?" 

"Him  at  village." 

"Where  is  the  village?'* 

"See  mountain?" 

"Yes." 

"Village  near  mountain." 

"You  will  take  us  there?" 

"Yes." 

"What  will  you  do  with  us  then?*' 

"Musweno  say." 

Frank  had  been  studying  the  giant,  who  was  rather 
good  looking,  although  he  had  fierce  eyes.  The  boy  de 
cided  that  Bondalwe  must  be  a  great  leader  among  the 
savages,  if  nothing  more,  for  he  was  quite  intelligent, 
had  a  well-shaped  head,  and  was  at  least  eight  inches 
taller  than  the  tallest  among  the  other  savages. 

"Are  you  relation  to  the  king  ?"  the  boy  coolly  asked. 

"No  relation." 

"But  you  must  be  one  of  the  chief  men  ?" 

"Um  big  war  chief,"  answered  Bondalwe,  swelling  with 


176  The  Black  Men. 

pride.  "Um  great  fighter.  Make  many  captive;  get 
much  provision  for  my  people." 

"Make  many  captives  and  git  much  provision  for  his 
people!"  gasped  Ephraim  Gallup.  "We're  done  for,  by 
thutter !  Them  critters  is  cannibals  an'  no  mistake !" 

Ephraim  wondered  that  Frank  had  surrendered  with 
out  a  struggle,  for  such  an  act  was  quite  unlike  him. 

The  boys  were  not  bound;  but,  the  savages  surround 
ing  them,  they  were  marched  toward  the  forest,  Bondalwe 
having  first  questioned  them  as  to  how  they  came  on  the 
island. 

Some  of  the  black  men  remained  behind  to  search  amid 
the  wreckage  along  the  shore  and  to  look  for  other  per 
sons  who  might  have  escaped  to  the  island. 

Frank  asked  for  food,  and  Bondalwe  told  him  he 
would  be  given  enough  when  the  village  was  reached. 

Merriwell  tried  to  question  the  giant  savage  about  his 
people  and  how  it  happened  that  he  could  speak  English, 
but  Bondalwe  suddenly  seemed  suspicious,  and  refused 
to  answer. 

The  forest  was  dense  and  heavy,  and  the  party  moved 
along  with  difficulty,  having  to  select  their  way  with  con 
siderable  care. 

Frank  was  constantly  on  the  watch  for  an  opportunity 
to  make  a  break  and  escape  into  the  dense  woods,  but  he 
found  that  the  bkck  men  were  watching  him  constantly 
with  the  eyes  of  hawks. 

"If  I  tried  it,  I'd  be  run  through  by  a  spear  before  I 
had  made  three  leaps,"  was  his  mental  conclusion. 

Ephraim  seemed  greatly  dejected,  and  plodded  along 
with  his  head  bowed  on  his  breast,  whereupon  Frank  tried 
to  cheer  him  up. 

"Come,  come,  old  man!"  he  said,  "what's  the  matter 
with  you !  Brace  up.  Some  of  these  people  talk  English, 
which  shows  there  have  been  white  men  here  before  us. 


The  Black  Men.  177 

There's  no  telling  what  we'll  find  at  the  village  of  the 
natives." 

"The  chances  are  we'll  find  aourselves  in  the  soup," 
groaned  the  boy  from  Vermont.  "I've  seen  these  critters 
lookin'  me  over  ter  see  what  condition  I'm  in." 

"Well,  it's  likely  they'll  think  you're  rather  spare,  so 
they'll  keep  you  a  while  and  try  to  fatten  you  up." 

"Perhaps  they  ain't  cannibals,"  said  Ephraim,  by  way 
of  trying  to  console  himself.  "We  don't  know  abaout 
that." 

Bright  plumaged  birds  flitted  through  the  forests,  ut 
tering  shrill  cries.  There  were  plentiful  signs  of  ani 
mal  life  on  the  island. 

Ephraim  had  a  ravenous  appetite,  and  the  tramp  to  the 
village  was  a  torture  to  him,  as  he  had  not  eaten  his 
breakfast. 

The  woods  being  very  dense,  the  progress  of  the  party 
was  exceedingly  slow,  and  it  was  near  noon  when  the  vil 
lage  was  approached. 

Couriers  had  gone  ahead  to  tell  the  people  of  the  vil 
lage,  and,  as  the  party  came  nearer,  the  sound  of  drum 
ming  and  shouting  could  be  heard. 

"They  are  making  merry  over  our  capture,"  said 
Frank.  "I  don't  know  why  they  should  feel  so  good 
about  it  unless  it  is  because  we  are  to  be  roasted  and 
eaten." 

Ephraim  groaned  dismally. 

"This  is  hard  luck,"  he  said.  "I  wish  I'd  bin  drownded ! 
That  would  have  bin  the  easiest  thing." 

They  entered  the  village  amid  a  shouting,  singing  crowd 
of  nearly  naked  savages.  The  people  seemed  to  have 
gone  wild  with  joy. 

The  village  consisted  of  about  forty  small,  cone-shaped 
huts,  and  into  one  of  these  the  captive  lads  were  thrust, 
the  place  being  surrounded  by  armed  guards. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CAPTIVES  AMONG  CANNIBALS. 

It  was  quite  dark  within  the  hut,  so  the  boys  could  not 
get  a  good  view  of  their  surroundings  at  first. 

"Well,  here  we  are,  Ephraim,"  said  Frank,  cheerfully. 
"Make  yourself  right  at  home." 

"I  wish  I  was  right  to  hum,  by  gosh,"  exploded  the 
Vermonter.  "This  kind  uv  business  is  too  much  fer  me." 

"Oh,  this  is  nothing.  Wait  till  you  see  what  we're 
coming  to." 

"You're  real  consolin',  Frank!  You  make  me  feel  as 
jolly  as  a  funeral.  I  ain't  had  so  much  fun  sence  the  last 
time." 

"The  people  here  seem  real  pleased  to  see  us.  Hear 
them  howl." 

"That's  what  I  don't  like,"  confessed  the  Vermont  lad. 
"Ef  they  wasn't  so  pleased,  I  should  be  a  great  deal  more 
pleased  myself." 

"You're  fussy." 

Ephraim  groaned  and  stopped  his  ears  with  his  fingers, 
as  another  wild  chorus  of  yells  came  from  outside  the  hut. 

Drums  were  beating  over  the  village,  and  the  black 
people  seemed  to  have  gone  crazy  with  joy.  They  were 
dancing  and  capering  in  the  most  extravagant  manner. 

Although  he  kept  up  his  outward  appearance  of  reck 
less  indifference,  Frank  Merriwell  was  rather  sick  at 
heart.  From  the  open  door  of  the  hut  he  looked  out  and 
saw  the  savages  dancing  and  going  through  all  sorts  of 
extravagant  gestures  of  joy,  and  he  felt  certain  they 


Captives  Among  Cannibals.          179 

were  thus  rejoiced  because  of  a  new  acquisition  of  food 
in  the  village. 

"They  are  cannibals,"  thought  Frank.  "I  believe  I 
was  foolish  in  submitting  to  capture.  We  should  have 
fought  as  long  as  we  could.  Now  we  are  helpless  in  their 
power,  and  must  submit  to  be  killed." 

The  more  he  thought  of  this  the  more  he  reproached 
himself;  but  it  was  now  too  late  to  do  anything,  for  the 
armed  guards  about  the  hut  were  very  vigilant.  He 
could  see  them  standing  with  their  spears  pointed  toward 
the  entrance,  ready  to  run  one  of  the  captives  through, 
if  one  attempted  to  escape. 

"Do  you  really  s'pose  they  mean  to  eat  us,  Frank?" 
asked  Ephraim,  in  a  voice  that  indicated  great  distress. 

"It  is  possible  they  do.     We  cannot  be  sure  of  it  yet." 

"Yes,  you  may,"  said  a  voice  near  at  hand,  causing 
both  lads  to  start  and  utter  exclamations  of  astonish 
ment.  "I  can  assure  you  that  you  will  be  killed  and 
eaten  with  very  little  delay." 

Peering  toward  the  point  from  which  the  voice  came, 
they  discerned  the  figure  of  a  man  seated  on  the  ground, 
with  his  back  against  the  wall  of  the  hut. 

"Who  are  you?"  Frank  quickly  demanded. 

"A  captive  among  these  man-eaters,  like  yourselves," 
was  the  answer.  "I  was  a  fellow  passenger  on  the  Sea 
Fox.  You  should  recognize  me." 

"It  is  dark  here,  but  now  I  see Why,  it's  Mr. 

Ross,  who  was  searching  for  the  lost  heiress !" 

"By  gum !  so  it  is !"  exclaimed  Ephraim. 

"We  presumed  you  had  been  drowned,"  said  Frank. 

"I  was  not  thus  fortunate,"  said  Austin  Ross,  with  a 
deep  sigh.  "And  now  I  am  to  be  roasted." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"I  have  been  thus  informed  by  one  of  these  gentlemen, 
who  speaks  rather  indifferent  English." 


i8o         Captives  Among  Cannibals. 

"How  did  you  come  here?" 

"The  same  way  you  did,  I  fancy.  I  was  captured  and 
brought  here  by  these  miserable  niggers." 

"When  was  that?" 

"Early  this  morning." 

"Where  were  you?" 

"Hunting  in  the  forest  for  something  to  shoot  with 
my  revolver,  as  I  was  hungry  and  wished  to  kill  some 
thing  to  eat." 

"How  did  you  escape  being  drowned  when  the  schooner 
was  wrecked?" 

"I  had  on  two  life-preservers,  and  I  succeeded  in  reach 
ing  the  shore,  although  it  was  a  most  desperate  struggle 
for  life." 

"Well,"  said  Frank,  "surprises  will  never  cease.  At 
first  Ephraim  and  I  believed  we  were  the  only  ones  to 
escape ;  but  Sardago  and  Dalfors  turned  up,  and  now  we 
find  you." 

"Sardago  and  Dalfors,  two  of  the  sailors?" 

"Yes." 

"Where  are  they?" 

"Somewhere  on  this  island." 

"Have  the  savages  captured  them?" 

"I  scarcely  think  so,  although  Bondalwe  and  a  party 
remained  on  the  shore  near  where  the  wreck  occurred, 
and  they  were  looking  for  any  others  who  escaped,  I 
fancy." 

"Who  is  Bondalwe?" 

"A  giant  among  these  savages.     He  speaks  English." 

"He  is  not  the  only  one.  Several  of  them  can  say  a 
few  words  of  English.  I  wonder  how  it  happens  ?" 

"It  is  likely  the  Sea  Fox  was  not  the  first  vessel  to  be 
wrecked  on  this  island.  Other  white  men  have  been 
here." 


Captives  Among  Cannibals.          181 

"But  they  ain't  here  now,"  groaned  Ephraim,  dis 
mally. 

"Not  much !"  said  Ross.  "And  it  will  not  be  long  be 
fore  we  are  served  as  they  were  served.  As  they  brought 
me  into  this  accursed  village  I  saw  a  spectacle  that  froze 
the  blood  in  my  veins." 

The  man  shivered,  and  his  teeth  chattered  like  rattling 
dice. 

"What  did  you  see?"  asked  Frank. 

"Human  skulls  and  bones,  all  picked  clean  and  piled  in 
a  heap,  the  refuse  from  the  horrid  feasts  of  these  can 
nibals." 

Ephraim  groaned  again,  and  fell  flat  on  his  back,  where 
he  lay,  still  groaning. 

"I  wish  I  was  to  hum  on  the  farm!"  he  moaned, 
huskily. 

Frank  was  silent  for  some  moments,  and  then  he  struck 
his  clinched  right  hand  into  the  open  palm  of  his  left. 

"That  settles  it !"  he  cried.  "I  was  a  fool  that  I  urged 
you  to  submit  quietly,  Ephraim.  We  should  have  fought 
to  the  last  gasp.  Now  we  are  powerless." 

"Yes,  we  are  powerless,"  agreed  Ross.  "We  can  do 
nothing  to  save  ourselves.  They  can  keep  us  like  pigs  in 
a  pen  till  they  get  ready  to  stick  us." 

"If  I  was  to  hum  I'd  stay  there  the  rest  of  my  natteral 
days,"  gurgled  the  boy  from  Vermont,  in  great  agony. 

"If  I  were  in  the  United  States,  nothing  would  lure  me 
forth  again  in  search  for  the  lost  heiress,  Ethel  Driscoll," 
declared  Ross. 

The  condition  of  the  unfortunate  trio  was  indeed  most 
wretched  and  hopeless.  Frank,  however,  with  his  usual 
persistency,  refused  to  give  up  hope.  He  set  about  try 
ing  to  devise  some  scheme  for  escaping  from  the  trap. 

The  uproar  outside  continued,  and  the  savages  could  be 


Captives  Among  Cannibals. 

seen  drinking  from  large  wooden  dishes.  That  they  were 
intoxicated  and  fast  becoming  more  so  was  evident. 

"I  wonder  where  the  chief  is?"  speculated  Frank. 

"I  saw  him  when  I  was  brought  into  the  village,"  said 
Ross.  "I  was  taken  before  him.  He  is  a  hideous  old 
wretch,  and  he  was  pretty  drunk  when  I  saw  him.  He 
danced,  and  grinned,  and  felt  me  all  over,  as  a  person 
might  examine  a  beef  creature.  Then  he  proceeded  to 
drink  more  of  the  stuff  they  are  pouring  down  their 
throats,  and  I  should  not  wonder  if  he  were  dead  drunk 
by  this  time." 

"If  they'd  all  get  drunk  we  might  find  an  opportunity 
to  escape." 

"But  they  will  not.  You  must  notice  that  our  guards 
are  not  drinking  at  all.  They  are  letting  the  others  booze, 
but  they  are  keeping  perfectly  sober." 

This  was  true. 

After  a  time,  two  women  came  and  brought  some 
dishes  of  food,  which  were  placed  within  the  doorway  of 
the  prison  hut,  and  the  captives  were  invited,  by  gestures, 
to  partake  of  it.  The  women  were  very  ugly — much 
more  so  than  the  men. 

"Come,  Ephraim,"  said  Frank,  "you  are  hungry,  and 
here  is  something  to  eat.  Sit  up  and  help  yourself." 

"I  don't  want  it." 

"Don't?  Why,  you  were  almost  starved  early  this 
morning." 

Ephraim  sat  up. 

"Think  I'd  eat  any  uv  their  stuff !"  he  squawked.  "3 
don't  know  what  it  is.  I  don't  want  it." 

"It  is  made  of  vegetables." 

"I  don't  care  ef  it  is!  I'll  bet  a  yaller  squash  it  was 
cooked  in  a  dish  that  some  man  had  been  cooked  in  I 
Great  jumpin'  Jupiter!  It  makes  me  sick!" 


Captives  Among  Cannibals.          183 

The  thought  was  sickening,  and  Frank  himself  had  no 
desire  to  taste  the  stuff,  hungry  though  he  was. 

"Ef  they  try  ter  keep  me  an'  fat  me  up,  I'll  starve  my 
self  till  I'm  so  gol  dern  thin  they  won't  hev  no  fun  eatin' 
me,"  declared  the  boy  from  Vermont. 

"That's  a  very  good  scheme,"  nodded  Ross ;  "but  I  do 
not  fancy  any  of  us  will  be  kept  long.  I  am  to  be  slaugh 
tered  to-morrow  morning,  and  it's  likely  we'll  all  be  killed 
at  the  same  time.  The  black  devils  will  have  a  regular 
barbecue." 

Not  one  of  the  trio  would  taste  the  food,  but  their  thirst 
forced  them  to  take  a  drink  from  a  dish  of  water  the  sav 
ages  had  provided. 

The  carousing  continued  among  the  savages  through 
out  the  day,  and  a  wild  orgie  it  was. 

Frank  watched  like  a  hawk  for  an  opportunity  to  es 
cape,  but  found  none. 

Midway  in  the  afternoon  Bondalwe  and  his  party  came 
in. 

They  brought  no  more  captives. 

"Sardago  and  Dalfors  have  not  been  captured,"  said 
Frank.  "It  is  merely  a  matter  of  time  before  they  will  be, 
however." 

Bondalwe  came  and  peered  into  the  hut,  seeming  much 
satisfied. 

"Why  um  white  boys  no  eat?"  he  asked,  seeing  the 
food  remained  untouched.  "Um  white  boys  mean  to 
starve  ?  They  no  got  time  for  that.  Musweno  see  them 
bimeby  pretty  soon  before  night.  Mebbe  he  have  one 
boy  for  his  supper.  Um  boy  better  than  man — great 
much  more  tender.  Musweno  like  white  boy  pretty 
good." 

With  that  the  giant  war  chief  of  the  black  men  de 
parted,  leaving  the  captives  in  anything  but  an  enviable 
mood. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

DEATH    OF   THE    KING. 

Phantom  Island  seemed  to  lay  in  a  region  of  storms, 
for,  toward  night,  thunder  was  heard  muttering  in  the 
distance,  and  the  sky  gradually  became  overcast. 

About  this  time  the  king  of  the  black  men  sent  an 
armed  escort  to  bring  the  new  captives  before  him. 

Frank  was  still  on  the  alert  for  any  opportunity  to 
break  away  and  make  a  dash  for  life  and  liberty. 

"Watch  me,  Ephraim,"  he  directed.  "If  I  give  the  sig 
nal  you  make  a  break  at  the  same  time.  It  may  be  our 
last  chance." 

"It's  no  use,"  declared  Austin  Ross,  dolefully.  "We 
are  all  doomed.  Even  if  one  or  two  of  us  escaped,  we'd 
be  on  the  island,  and  we'd  fall  into  their  hands  again 
after  a  time." 

"Well,  you  needn't  think  I  am  going  to  tamely  submit 
to  being  roasted  and  eaten,"  came  rather  warmly  from 
Frank. 

Bondalwe  was  the  leader  of  the  guard,  and  he  heard 
the  lad's  words,  which  brought  a  savage  smile  to  his  face. 

"Um  white  boy  talk  big,"  he  said,  scornfully.  "What 
white  boy  think  um  do  ?  Him  no  git  a  chance." 

"Wait,"  came  clearly  from  Frank's  lips.  "I  submitted 
quietly  to  capture  because  I  knew  I  should  not  be 
harmed." 

The  big  war  chief  grinned  more  than  before. 

"White  boy  know  heap  much.  How  him  know  so 
much?" 

"Because  I  am  protected  by  powers  you  know  nothing 


Death  of  the  King.  185 

of.  You  will  not  be  allowed  to  harm  me.  The  Spirit  of 
the  Air  wil*  prevent  it." 

Bondalwe  pursed  up  his  lips  and  then  shook  his  head. 

"No  understand  that,"  he  said.  "What  you  mean, 
white  boy?" 

"You  shall  see.  There  are  things  you  do  not  under 
stand.  Take  us  to  your  king.  We  are  ready." 

As  the  boys  marched  along  in  the  midst  of  the  guards, 
with  the  spears  pointed  toward  them,  Ephraim  whispered 
to  his  companion : 

"What  in  jee-thutteration  did  yeou  mean  by  what  you 
said  to  that  darn  big  nigger  ?  Was  it  all  a  big  bluff  ?" 

"I  am  making  a  play  to  save  us  from  the  soup,"  was  the 
answer.  "It  is  our  only  hope,  and  I'll  confess  it  is  a 
mighty  slim  one." 

"What  do  you  mean  to  do  ?" 

"Wait  and  you  shall  see.  Do  not  express  surprise  at 
anything  that  may  happen,  or  anything  you  may  hear." 

Ephraim  was  puzzled.  He  could  not  conceive  how 
Frank  could  do  anything  to  save  them,  and  still  he  had 
great  confidence  in  the  ability  of  his  friend.  He  had 
seen  Frank  do  many  nervy  and  astonishing  things,  and, 
somehow,  he  felt  hopeful  that  something  might  happen 
to  save  them  from  the  cannibals  at  the  last  moment. 

The  black  men  and  women  ran  along  the  street  on 
either  side  of  the  armed  guard  and  the  captives,  wildly 
waving  their  arms,  shouting  and  screaming.  They  were 
a  savage-looking  set,  nearly  all  of  them  drunk.  The 
women  seemed  even  fiercer  than  the  men. 

"What  a  mess  uv  old  hags  them  shemales  be!"  mut 
tered  the  boy  from  Vermont.  "They  act  ez  if  they'd  like 
to  eat  us  raw." 

"On  this  island  the  women  cannot  be  called  the  'fair 
sex,'  and  that  is  g  fact-  They  are  ugly  as  scarecrows." 


1 86  Death  of  the  King. 

"I  don't  b'lieve  there's  one  decent  lookin'  one  on  the  hull 
island." 

Bondalwe's  ears  were  sharp,  and  he  had  heard  every 
word  spoken  by  the  boys.  Now  he  turned  about  and 
said: 

"You  have  not  seen  Malwe." 

"Who  is  she?" 

"One  great  princess — king's  daughter.  Heap  much 
pretty." 

"I  be  gol  derned  ef  it  wouldn't  be  a  relief  to  git  a  look 
at  her  before  we're  roasted,"  said  Ephraim. 

"She  not  'lowed  to  see  um  white  boys — no,  no !" 

"Why  not?" 

"Her  heart  tender.  She  might  try  to  keep  white  boys 
from  being  eaten." 

"What's  that?"  cried  Frank.  "Then  I  rather  reckon 
Malwe  is  the  person  we  must  desire  to  see  about  now." 

"White  boy  not  need  to,"  said  Bondalwe,  sneeringly. 
"Him  Spirit  of  Air  will  take  care  of  white  boys." 

"That's  right,"  declared  Frank,  stoutly.  "You  shall 
see." 

Beyond  the  limits  of  the  village  they  marched,  and  they 
came  to  an  open  lot  of  ground,  surrounded  by  lofty  trees 
with  wide-spreading  tops. 

In  this  open  space  a  number  of  the  natives  had  assem 
bled,  and  they  shouted  as  the  guard  came  up  with  the 
captives. 

The  crowd  opened,  and  the  boys  were  marched  into  its 
midst. 

The  boys  found  themselves  before  a  large  savage,  who 
was  seated  on  what  seemed  to  be  a  sort  of  raised  throne. 
This  throne  was  decorated  with  human  skulls,  which 
peered  out  from  every  side  in  all  their  ghastly  suggestive- 
ness.  Behind  the  throne  there  was  a  half  circle  of  poles, 


Death  of  the  King.  187 

on  which  were  perched  bare  and  grinning  skulls  of  human 
beings. 

It  was  a  ghastly  and  horrible  spectacle,  and  the  boys 
shuddered  as  they  looked. 

The  king  was  a  fierce-looking  old  wretch,  with  his 
teeth  filed  so  they  were  all  pointed,  and  his  face  and  body 
fantastically  tattooed.  He  was  gotten  up  in  a  manner 
intended  to  strike  awe  to  the  hearts  of  the  captives. 

But  Frank  was  not  easily  awed,  for  he  leaned  toward 
Ephraim  and  whispered: 

"Well,  old  Musweno  is  a  peach,  and  that's  straight !" 

The  teeth  of  the  boy  from  Vermont  chattered  a  little, 
as  he  whispered  back: 

"I'd  give  a  pile  ef  I  was  to  hum  on  the  farm !" 

The  thunder  was  growing  louder  and  louder,  telling 
that  the  storm  was  approaching,  and  flashes  of  lightning 
became  more  frequent. 

The  king  looked  the  boys  over  in  a  greedy  way,  as  if  he 
longed  to  devour  them  immediately. 

Bondalwe  bowed  low  before  the  throne,  saying  some 
thing  in  the  native  language,  and  motioning  toward  the 
captives. 

Musweno  lifted  one  pudgy  hand  and  motioned  for  the 
boys  to  approach. 

"Come  on,  Ephraim,"  whispered  Frank.  "Show  your 
nerve." 

The  boys  stepped  forward,  and  the  king  surveyed 
them  once  more.  His  eyes  finally  rested  on  Frank,  and 
he  said : 

"Um  white  boy  much  good.     Him  do  for  supper." 
So  the  king  could  speak  English.     Frank  was  greatly 
satisfied  when  he  discovered  this,  for  it  would  be  of 
service  to  him  in  carrying  out  his  scheme.     He  now  ad- 
dressed  the  monarch,  speaking  clearly  and  boldly : 


1 88  Death  of  the  King. 

"You  may  as  well  select  another  subject  for  supper, 
king,  as  I  positively  decline  to  serve." 

Musweno  gave  a  grunt  of  astonishment. 

"What  that?"  he  asked.  "What  white  boy  mean  by 
that?" 

"White  boy  say,  oh  great  Musweno,  king  of  the  Wedol- 
bas,  that  him  be  protected  by  Spirit  of  Air,"  explained 
Bondalwe,  speaking  in  a  derisive  manner. 

The  cannibal  king  grunted  again. 

"What  that?"  he  demanded.  "White  boy  think  we  all 
fools?" 

"I  do  not  think  you  are  fools,"  said  Frank,  calmly; 
"but  I  am  telling  you  the  simple  truth.  You  cannot  harm 
me,  for  I  am  protected  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Air.  The 
Spirit  is  always  ready  to  answer  my  call,  and  is  within 
sound  of  my  voice  at  this  minute." 

Old  Musweno  laughed  derisively,  showing  his  ugly, 
pointed  teeth.  He  held  onto  his  abdomen  as  he  laughed. 

"Much  big  lie,"  he  declared.  "Let  white  boy  prove 
what  him  say,  or  him  be  killed  right  off  now." 

"Great  gosh !"  gasped  Ephraim.  "Yeou've  got  yerself 
inter  an  awful  scrape !  This  fixes  us  both !" 

But  Frank  Merriwell  did  not  seem  in  the  least  dis 
turbed.  It  is  possible  his  face  was  somewhat  paler  than 
usual,  but  his  voice  was  cool  and  steady. 

"I  will  prove  it,  oh,  king.  You  shall  hear  the  voice  of 
the  Spirit  of  the  Air — you  shall  hear  him  speak.  He  will 
speak  to  you,  Musweno,  King  of  the  Wedolbas." 

Then  Frank  stretched  forth  one  hand,  pointed  straight 
at  the  old  monarch,  and  uttered  a  long,  loud  cry. 

As  the  boy  uttered  the  cry  there  was  a  frightful  shock, 
a  blinding  glare,  and  the  king  fell  dead,  plunging  head 
long  from  the  ghastly  throne  to  the  ground. 

He  had  been  struck  by  lightning ! 

For  some  moments  the  savages  seemed  dazed  with  ter- 


Death  of  the  King.  189 

ror,  staring  wildly  at  the  huddled  body  of  the  king,  whicK 
lay  in  a  heap  at  the  foot  of  the  throne,  the  hideous  face 
distorted  and  turned  toward  the  throng  of  natives,  his 
sightless  eyes  seeming  to  stare  in  terror  at  Frank  Merri- 
well. 

Frank  was  no  less  astonished  than  the  natives,  for,  of 
course,  the  thunderbolt  had  been  totally  unexpected  by 
him;  but,  after  the  first  start  of  surprise,  which  was  not 
seen,  he  stood  there  cool  and  calm,  thanking  fortune  for 
the  seeming  miracle,  as  he  knew  it  must  strike  terror  to 
the  hearts  of  the  black  men. 

Ephraim  Gallup  nearly  fell  to  the  ground  in  a  heap. 
He  had  not  known  what  Frank  intended  to  do,  and  it  al 
most  seemed  that  the  boy  at  his  side  had  summoned  the 
bolt  of  lightning  to  kill  the  cannibal  king. 

Suddenly  a  general  cry  of  great  fear  came  from  the 
savages,  and  they  prostrated  themselves  upon  their  faces 
on  the  ground. 

"Gol  dern  my  skin!"  gasped  the  boy  from  Vermont. 
"This  jest  natterally  beats  anything  I  ever  saw." 

Frank  smiled  grimly. 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Air  certainly  spoke  to  old  Musweno 
in  quite  a  loud  tone  of  voice,"  he  said,  in  a  guarded  way. 
"The  old  pirate  heard  it,  and  felt  it,  as  well." 

"Yeou  don't  mean  to  say  you  made  the  lightnin'  strike 
him,  do  ye  ?"  fluttered  Ephraim,  in  a  dazed  way. 

"Of  course  I  did,"  chuckled  Frank,  comprehending  the 
bewilderment  and  surprise  of  his  companion.  "Didn't  I 
cry  out  to  the  Spirit?" 

"I  don't  understand  it,"  muttered  the  Yankee  lad.  "It's 
the  queerest  thing  I  ever  saw  sence  I  was  born." 

The  native  men  and  women  lay  face  downward,  not 
daring  to  look  up  at  all.  Even  Bondalwe  was  overcome 
with  fear. 

"Arise,  Bondalwe,"  directed  Frank,  in  a  loud  tone. 


190  Death  of  the  King. 

"Tell  the  people  to  get  upon  their  feet.  The  Spirit  has 
spoken  to  the  king,  but  they  need  not  fear  him  more, 
for  he  will  not  speak  again  unless  I  call  upon  him." 

The  giant  war  chief  got  up  very  slowly,  his  black  face 
seeming  to  have  a  sort  of  pallor,  which  may  be  seen  in 
the  faces  of  negroes  who  are  badly  frightened. 

"Tell  the  others  to  arise,"  commanded  the  triumphant 
boy. 

Bondalwe  did  so,  but  the  people  were  so  greatly  fright 
ened  that  they  hesitated  about  obeying,  some  starting  up, 
but  falling  back  on  their  faces  when  they  beheld  the  dead 
body  of  the  king  at  the  foot  of  the  ghastly  throne. 

After  a  time  they  were  induced  to  arise,  but  they  hud- 
'dled  together,  like  a  flock  of  frightened  sheep,  staring  in 
speechless  awe  at  Frank. 

"Bondalwe,"  said  Frank,  "you  doubted  when  I  told  you 
I  was  protected  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Air — you  laughed  at 
me.  What  do  you  think  now  ?" 

"White  boy's  tongue  speak  the  truth.  White  boy  one 
great  magician.  Him  chief  of  many  devils." 

"Bondalwe,  shall  I  call  on  the  Spirit,  and  ask  him  to 
speak  to  you?" 

The  giant  fell  on  his  knees,  his  eyes  rolling,  his  teeth 
chattering,  his  hands  outstretched  to  the  boy  in  an  ap 
pealing  gesture. 

"No,  no,  no!"  he  almost  screamed.  "Urn  white  boy 
spare  poor  Bondalwe!  Bondalwe  be  slave  to  um  white 
boy." 

"Very  well,"  came  quietly  from  the  boy's  lips.  "Get 
up." 

The  big  war  chief  arose  again,  standing  in  a  cowering 
attitude,  while  the  islanders  looked  on  in  wonder  and 
fear. 

"The  Spirit  spoke  to  Musweno,"  said  Frank,  "and 


Death  of  the  King.  191 

Musweno  is  dead.  If  I  should  direct  the  Spirit  to  speak 
to  any  one  of  you,  you  would  also  die." 

He  made  a  gesture  with  his  hand  as  he  said  this,  and, 
by  a  fortunate  coincidence,  there  was  a  sharp  glare  of 
lightning  and  a  heavy  peal  of  thunder. 

Again  the  natives  flung  themselves  on  their  faces,  and 
it  was  some  time  before  they  could  be  induced  to  arise. 
When  they  did  so  they  would  have  run  away,  but  Frank 
commanded  them  to  remain,  under  penalty  of  being 
touched  by  the  Spirit." 

"The  king  is  dead,"  said  Frank.  "Who  next  in  or 
der  should  become  your  king?  Speak  up  and  answer 
me?" 

After  much  faltering,  Bondalwe  bowed  low,  his  eyes 
on  the  ground,  and  said,  in  a  low  and  faltering  voice : 

"Oh,  great  white  boy,  Bondalwe  is  next  among  the 
men.  There  is  but  one  to  dispute  his  right  to  be  king 
after  Musweno." 

"Who  is  that?" 

"Malwe,  the  princess.* 

"Is  she  the  king's  daughter." 

"Yes." 

"What  relation  are  you  to  the  king?" 

Bondalwe  tried  to  explain,  but  he  did  not  succeed  in 
making  anything  clear  but  that  he  was  a  distant  relative. 

It  became  evident  to  Frank  that  the  big  savage  aspired 
to  the  throne,  knowing  there  was  none  among  the  natives 
who  dared  oppose  him. 

"I  scarcely  think  you  will  be  allowed  to  become  king 
while  I  am  on  this  island,"  thought  Frank. 

He  then  asked  for  Malwe,  but  was  told  the  king  had 
forbidden  that  she  should  see  the  white  captives,  and  that 
she  had  been  sent  to  the  other  village,  which  was  situated 
at  the  farther  extremity  of  the  island.  The  men  from 


192  Death  of  the  King. 

his  other  village  and  nearly  all  the  women  were  present 
and  had  witnessed  the  death  of  their  king. 

A  sudden  thought  struck  Frank,  and  he  said,  in  a  loud 
voice : 

"Oh,  people  of  the  Wedolbas,  the  Spirit  has  seen  fit 
to  take  your  king  from  you,  but  Musweno  shall  speak  and 
say  who  shall  become  your  king  in  his  place." 

At  this  much  surprise  was  shown,  and  Bondalwe  fal- 
teringly  asked : 

"How  is  it,  white  boy,  that  Musweno  can  speak  when 
him  be  much  dead  ?  Dead  one  no  speak  at  all  any  more." 

"The  Spirit  can  give  him  power  to  speak,  even  though 
he  is  dead,"  asserted  the  resourceful  lad,  with  confidence. 
"You  shall  hear  him  speak." 

"Gosh-all-hemlock !"  gurgled  Ephraim,  in  consterna 
tion.  "You're  crazyer'n  a  coot,  Frank!  You're  goin' 
ter  spoil  ther  hull  blamed  mess  ef  yeou  keep  on  this  air 
way." 

"Don't  get  excited,  Ephraim,"  cautioned  Frank,  se 
renely.  "I  know  what  I  am  about,  so  keep  your  mouth 
buttoned  up  a  while  and  see  what  you  will  see." 

Bondalwe  seemed  more  incredulous  than  ever.  He 
repeated  the  lad's  words  to  the  natives,  and  they  stared 
at  Frank  in  mingled  fear  and  doubt. 

Making  sure  that  all  understood  that  he  had  asserted 
the  dead  monarch  should  speak  and  declare  who  should 
become  king,  Frank  began  approaching  the  huddled,  tat 
tooed  body  at  the  foot  of  the  throne.  As  he  advanced  he 
muttered  some  gibberish,  and  made  strange  movements 
in  the  air  with  his  hands. 

The  savages  stared  with  increasing  awe  and  fear,  some 
seeming  ready  to  fall  on  the  ground  once  more. 

Reaching  the  body,  the  boy  bent  over  it,  making  some 
mystic  passes,  and  then,  crying,  in  a  loud  voice,  so  all 
must  hear  him : 


Death  of  the  King.  193 

"Oh,  Great  Spirit,  give  to  Musweno  power  that  he 
may  speak  and  proclaim  the  name  of  his  successor.  Oh, 
Musweno,  dead  though  you  are  from  the  touch  of  the 
Spirit,  speak  and  let  your  wishes  be  known — speak,  I 
command  you. 

Dead  silence,  with  every  savage  staring  and  listening. 

The  king's  lips  were  drawn  back  from  his  filed  teeth, 
and  from  his  throat  seemed  to  issue  these  words : 

"The  white  boy,  whose  servant  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Air, 
shall  become  king  of  the  Wedalbos  in  place  of  Musweno. 
This  is  the  wish  and  command  of  Musweno,  who  is  dead." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  NEW  KING. 

It  seemed  that  the  dead  had  spoken. 

There  were  a  few  among  the  savages  who  understood 
English,  and  they  translated  the  words  which  seemed  to 
come  from  the  lips  of  their  dead  monarch.  In  a  moment 
every  native  present  understood  what  the  corpse  had 
seemed  to  say. 

Once  more  the  islanders  prostrated  themselves  on  the 
ground,  but  this  time  they  cried: 

"The  white  boy  is  our  king !  He  is  great  and  mighty, 
and  he  shall  be  our  king  to  the  end." 

Bondalwe  alone  did  not  cry  out,  as  Frank  observed, 
but  he  bowed  with  the  rest,  although  it  was  evident  that 
he  was  much  disappointed. 

Ephraim  Gallup  could  not  restrain  his  unutterable 
amazement. 

"Gol  dern  my  skin!"  he  exclaimed.  "This  beats  any 
thing  I  ever  saw  in  my  natteral  born  days !" 

Frank  made  a  motion  to  him,  saying,  sternly : 

"Bow,  boy !  Down  upon  your  face,  or  you  will  incur  the 
wrath  of  the  Spirit  and  the  new  king  of  the  Wedolbas." 

"Yeou  want  me  to  git  daown  on  my  face  ?"  asked  Eph 
raim,  astonished. 

"I  do,"  said  Frank,  appearing  very  stern.  "I  command 
it." 

"Wai,  I  be  kicked  ef  I  do  enny  such " 

"Then  your  fate  be  upon  your  own  head.  I  have 
worked  to  save  you,  but  you  may  destroy  yourself  by  your 
own  folly." 


The  New  King.  195 

"Then  I  guess  I'll  git  daown,  though  it  does  seem 
thunderin'  foolish.  Do  yeou  want  me  to  rub  my  nose  in 
the  dirt?" 

Ephraim  bowed  rather  reluctantly,  getting  down 
slowly. 

Then  Frank  mounted  to  the  throne,  upon  which  he 
seated  himself,  very  well  satisfied  with  the  turn  affairs 
had  taken. 

"Arise,  my  people,"  he  commanded — "arise  and  greet 
your  king." 

The  natives  got  upon  their  feet.  Bondalwe  shook  his 
spear  in  the  air  and  uttered  a  wild  shout,  which  was 
echoed  by  all  the  savages,  who  also  shook  their  weapons 
or  their  empty  hands  in  the  air. 

Down  across  the  sky  at  the  rear  of  the  throne  zigzagged 
the  lurid  lightning,  and  the  thunder  roared  like  ten  thou 
sand  cannon. 

"It  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Air !"  the  natives  told  each  other. 
"He  greets  our  new  king !  The  king  is  a  great  king !" 

Bondalwe  slowly  advanced,  got  upon  his  knees  be 
fore  the  throne,  placed  his  forehead  on  the  ground,  and 
remained  thus  till  Frank  told  him  to  get  upon  his  feet. 

Having  arisen,  the  war  chief  asked: 

"What  is  the  king's  name,  that  I  may  tell  it  to  his 
people  ?" 

"Tell  them  that  his  name  is  Merriwell." 

Bondalwe  did  so,  and  the  natives  shouted  the  name 
over  and  over. 

"Merriwell  is  our  king!  He  is  a  great  and  mighty 
king !" 

Bondalwe  then  explained  that  whenever  a  new  king 
ascended  the  throne  there  were  certain  ceremonies  to  be 
observed,  such  as  the  drinking  of  human  blood  and  the 
eating  of  the  brains  of  a  human  being. 


196  The  New  King. 

Ephraim,  who  had  begun  to  feel  better,  grinned  and 
winked  at  his  comrade,  slyly  observing : 

"You'll  have  a  regular  high  old  feast,  Frank !" 

Immediately  Frank  looked  sterner  than  ever,  asking 
of  Bondalwe : 

"Where  is  the  victim?" 

"Um  one  be  in  hut,"  said  the  war  chief,  "or  um  one 
be  here." 

He  indicated  Ephraim. 

"I  do  not  like  the  one  in  the  hut,"  declared  Frank,  "so 
I  think  I'll  have  to  take  um  one  here." 

"What's  that  ?"  shouted  the  boy  from  Vermont.  "Great 
smoke !  Yeou  don't  mean  to  say  you're  goin'  to  make  a 
meal  off  me  ?" 

"Well,  I  am  pretty  hungry,"  said  the  new  monarch. 
"I  feel  as  if  I  might  eat  almost  anything,  and .  I  doubt 
if  I'll  find  anything  better  on  this  island  than  you  are, 
Ephraim." 

"He  shall  be  killed  at  once  right  away  soon,"  said 
Bondalwe.  "First  him  throat  be  cut  to  let  out  blood." 

He  made  a  motion  with  his  hand,  and  Ephraim  was 
seized  by  several  savages,  who  were  ready  to  execute 
orders.  One  of  them  produced  a  long,  wicked-looking 
knife. 

Instantly  the  boy  from  Vermont  fell  on  his  knees,  his 
face  turning  very  pale,  and  his  teeth  chattering  with 
terror. 

"Oh,  sus-sus-say,  Fuf-fuf-frank !"  he  stammered,  "just 
tut-tut-tell  them  to  sus-sus-stop  it!  Gol  dud-dud-dern  it 
all!  yeou  can't  mum-mum-mean  to  have  mum-mum-me 
kuk-kuk-killed  like  this!  Oh,  what'd  I  gug-gug-gug- 
give  ef  I  was  to  hum  on  the  fuf-fuf-fuf-farm !" 

Seeing  how  he  had  terrified  his  companion  by  his  lit 
tle  joke,  Frank's  heart  smote  him,  and  he  quickly  said: 

"As  the  Spirit  of  the  Air  has  been  instrumental  in  male- 


The  New  King.  197 

ing  me  king  of  the  Wedolbas,  we  will  omit  all  ceremony. 
I  am  your  king.  That  is  all  that  is  necessary." 

Bondalwe  and  the  savages  seemed  much  disappointed, 
while  Ephraim  was  relieved  beyond  measure,  although, 
seeing  Frank  had  played  a  ghastly  joke  on  him,  he  was 
rather  angry.  However,  he  fancied  it  was  best  to  re 
press  his  anger  and  keep  quiet. 

Frank  now  directed  that  the  other  white  captive  be 
brought  before  him,  and  a  party  of  natives  rushed  away 
to  obey  the  command. 

In  the  meantime  Frank  addressed  Bondalwe,  saying: 

"Bondalwe,  you  are  strong  and  handsome,  and  you 
shall  still  be  the  war  chief  of  the  Wedolbas.  You  shall 
be  my  head  chief,  and,  next  to  me,  you  shall  have  the 
greatest  power  over  the  people.  How  does  that  satisfy 
you?" 

"It  is  much  good,"  answered  the  giant,  bowing  low 
and  seeming  pleased.  "You  shall  not  have  some  reason 
to  be  'shamed  of  Bondalwe." 

"Stand  on  my  right,"  directed  Frank,  and  the  giant 
did  so. 

"Now,"  said  the  boy  monarch,  "my  chief  companion 
and  counselor  shall  be  this  other  white  boy,  who  is  wise 
beyond  his  years,  and  who  knows  much  that  is  hidden 
from  the  learned  and  aged.  Ephraim,  stand  on  my  left." 

Ephraim  did  so. 

"Bondalwe,"  said  Frank,  "I  shall  depend  on  you  to 
select  ten  men  as  my  body  guard.  They  must  be  ten  of 
the  bravest  and  most  trustworthy." 

The  war  chief  agreed  to  do  so,  and  he  quickly  chose 
the  number  required,  selecting  the  tallest  and  most  intel 
ligent-looking  savages. 

Frank  then  directed  that  these  men,  all  of  whom  were 
armed  with  spears,  should  form  two  lines,  five  in  each 


198  The  New  King. 

line,  standing  three  feet  apart,  on  either  side  and  to  the 
front  of  the  throne. 

By  the  time  this  was  arranged  the  natives  with  Austin 
Ross  came  hurrying  up.  Ross  was  overcome  with  terror, 
and  scarcely  able  to  keep  on  his  feet,  fully  expecting  he 
was  being  rushed  to  slaughter.  He  stared  in  bewildered 
surprise  when  brought  before  Frank,  who  was  seated  on 
the  ghastly  throne.  He  saw  the  king  lying  dead  on  the 
ground,  and  his  wonder  increased. 

"Mr.  Ross,"  said  Frank,  with  dignity,  "I  am  now  king 
of  this  people,  in  place  of  the  late  king,  whom  you  see 
down  there.  I  am  absolute  monarch  of  this  island,  and 
what  I  say  goes." 

Ross  nearly  fainted. 

"How  in  the  world  did  you  ever  do  it?"  he  finally 
gasped. 

"Oh,  it's  a  way  I  have  of  doing  things.  I  seldom  get 
left,  although  I  sometimes  seem  to  be  badly  in  the  soup." 

"That's  right,  by  thutter!"  squealed  Ephraim  Gallup, 
who  was  feeling  so  good  that  he  could  not  contain  him 
self  longer.  You're  a  reg'lar  peach,  by  gum !" 

"Be  careful,"  warned  Frank.  "The  chief  counselor 
of  King  Merriwell  the  First  of  Phantom  Island  should 
not  forget  to  be  dignified  on  all  state  occasions,  such  as 
the  present,  as  he  is  beneath  the  watchful  eyes  of  the 
populace." 

Ephraim  stiffened  up,  becoming  grave  as  a  judge  in  a 
moment. 

"Yeou'll  have  to  excuse  me  this  time,"  he  said.  "I'll 
kainder  watch  aout  an'  not  make  another  break,  your 
royal  highness." 

Bondalwe  now  approached,  and,  after  certain  salutes, 
he  asked : 

"When,  oh,  king,  do  we  eat  him  ?" 

He  indicated  Ross. 


The  New  King.  199 

"You  will  not  eat  him  at  all,"  said  Frank,  sternly. 
"He  is  a  countryman  of  mine,  and  he  must  not  be  harmed. 
He  must  have  his  liberty,  and  I  give  warning  that  the 
Spirit  of  the  Air  will  visit  with  the  death  touch  the  one 
who  injures  him.  Release  him." 

He  waved  his  hand,  and  Austin  Ross  was  set  at  lib 
erty.  The  man  nearly  fainted  with  joy. 

It  now  began  to  rain  large  drops,  and,  seeing  the 
shower  was  right  upon  the  island,  Frank  directed  that 
the  dead  king  should  be  lifted  and  carried  to  his  home. 
This  being  done,  the  assemblage  was  dismissed.  In  the 
native  language  they  shouted: 

"Great  is  our  king!  Great  is  Merriwell,  king  of  the 
Wedolbas !" 

Frank  marched  toward  the  village,  accompanied  by 
Ephraim,  Bondalwe,  and  the  body  guard  of  ten,  with  the 
awed  natives  following  at  a  little  distance,  speaking  one 
to  another  of  the  astounding  and  miraculous  things  they 
had  witnessed. 

Frank  was  escorted  to  the  king's  house,  which  was 
larger  and  better  than  the  others,  and  he  entered  to  escape 
the  rain,  which  was  beginning  to  come  down  freely. 

The  cannibals  had  been  greatly  frightened  by  the  sud 
den  and  unexpected  death  of  their  king  from  a  thunder 
bolt,  which  it  seemed  the  strange  white  boy  had  called 
from  the  sky. 

They  placed  the  dead  king  in  one  of  the  huts,  leaving 
him  with  two  of  his  widows  to  watch  over  the  body. 
Then  they  gathered  to  talk  over  the  marvelous  things 
which  had  happened. 

While  they  were  fully  convinced  of  the  power  of  the 
white  boy  to  work  his  will  by  calling  to  his  aid  the 
Spirit  of  the  Air,  they  were  also  much  disappointed  be 
cause  the  new  king  had  seen  fit  to  release  both  the  white 
captives. 


2oo  The  New  King. 

All  cannibals  are  gluttons,  and  thus  it  was  with  the 
Wedolbas.  They  thought  a  great  deal  about  what  they 
would  eat,  and  it  seemed  that,  some  time  in  the  past, 
they  had  discovered  that  white  men  made  very  good  eat 
ing.  Therefore  it  was  a  great  disappointment  to  them  i 
when  they  failed  to  get  so  much  as  a  taste  of  one  of 
their  three  captives.  They  had  expected  a  great  feast. 

Notwithstanding  nearly  all  of  the  black  men  and 
women  had  been  intoxicated  when  the  youthful  captives 
were  brought  before  King  Musweno,  they  were  decidedly 
sober  directly  they  witnessed  the  death  of  the  old  mon 
arch. 

But  some  of  them  were  sullen,  feeling  that  the  new  king 
had  not  used  them  quite  right  by  taking  both  the  re 
maining  captives  from  them,  and  they  covertly  whispered 
their  dissatisfaction  one  to  another,  holding  their  hands 
over  their  empty  stomachs  as  they  did  so. 

Still,  they  had  no  thought  of  questioning  the  authority 
of  King  Merriwell,  for  all  were  convinced  that  he  had 
the  power  to  strike  any  one  dead  by  a  look,  and  they 
held  him  in  the  greatest  fear. 

While  the  rainstorm  lasted  the  natives  were  huddled 
in  the  little  huts,  whispering,  whispering,  whispering. 
They  shuddered  with  terror  when  they  heard  the  heavy 
peals  of  thunder,  which  had  suddenly  assumed  a  new 
significance  for  them.  It  was  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  of 
the  Air,  whose  touch  meant  instant  death. 

In  the  meantime,  once  inside  the  dead  king's  house, 
Ephraim  Gallup  executed  a  wild  can-can  of  a  dance, 
threw  his  arms  about  Frank's  neck,  and  gave  him  a 
bear-like  hug. 

Immediately  Frank  cast  the  Vermonter  off,  saying,  re 
provingly  : 


The  New  King.  aen 

"Be  careful  how  you  monkey  with  his  royal  higLneis, 
King  Merriwell  the  First.  You  must  approach  me  with 
awe  and  deference — that  is,  if  it  doesn't  make  any  'defer 
ence'  to  you." 

Ephraim  gave  a  deep  groan  and  staggered,  catching  at 
his  heart. 

"Gol  denied  ef  that  ain't  the  wust  pun  I  ever  heard !" 
he  gasped.  "It  was  awful — simply  awful !  What  you 
think,  Mr.  Ross?" 

"I  think  I  am  so  well  satisfied  to  escape  being  eaten 
by  these  savages  that  I  can  stand  almost  anything.  Go 
ahead  with  your  puns,  King  Merriwell." 

"Hereafter,  while  I  remain  monarch  of  this  island," 
said  Frank,  "you  must  show  me  the  regard  my  position 
demands.  If  I  make  a  bad  pun,  you  must  laugh  heartily, 
even  though  it  may  give  you  an  attack  of  heart  failure. 
Do  you  catch  on  ?" 

"Oh,  we  catch  on  fast  enough,"  nodded  Ross ;  "but 
what  puzzles  me  is  how  you  got  to  be  king.  Will  you  ex 
plain  that?" 

"With  pleasure." 

Then  Frank  told  what  had  happened  when  he  was 
brought  before  King  Musweno,  and  Ross  listened  in 
astonishment. 

"What  did  you  mean  to  do  if  the  lightning  had  not 
struck  the  old  cannibal?"  asked  the  astonished  man. 
"You  must  have  had  some  scheme  you  were  trying  to 
work." 

"I  did.  I  told  them  they  should  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Spirit  of  the  Air.  After  that,  the  dead  king  seemed  to 
speak,  aided  by  the  same  spirit." 

vBy  gum!  I  have  it!"  cried  Ephraim,  slapping  his 
knee. 


2O2  The  New  King. 

"Well,  if  you  have  it,  don't  yell  so  loud  the  whole 
village  will  get  it,"  advised  Frank.  "What  is  it  you 
have?" 

"I'd  plum  fergot  one  trick  yeou  uster  do  at  skule. 
Yeou  was  a  slappin'  good  ventriloquist,  and  yeou  was 
alwus  playin'  jokes  by  throwin'  your  voice  around.  Yeou 
made  the  dead  king  seem  to  speak." 

"Exactly  so,  my  astute  chief  adviser,  but  it  was  some 
time  before  you  seemed  to  get  that  through  your  head. 
When  I  called  on  the  mythical  Spirit  of  the  Air,  I  in 
tended  to  make  a  voice  seem  to  come  from  the  air,  com 
manding  the  king  not  to  harm  one  of  the  captive  white 
men.  I  was  on  the  point  of  trying  to  work  the  trick 
when  the  thunderbolt  knocked  old  Musweno  off  his 
perch." 

"Well,  you  are  a  wonderful  boy,"  declared  Austin 
Ross,  admiringly.  "Aided  by  the  thunderbolt,  you  have 
saved  us  all  for  the  time;  but  I  shall  feel  uneasy  among 
these  cannibals  till  we  escape.  I  shall  be  watching  out 
all  the  time,  so  they  will  not  catch  me  and  eat  me  when 
I  am  not  looking." 

"Yeou've  got  to  be  king,  Frank,"  said  Ephraim ;  "but 
yeou  may  not  be  able  to  hold  yeour  job.  When  the  thun 
derstorm  is  over,  the  niggers  may  decide  that  they  want 
one  uv  their  own  people  to  rule  'em." 

"If  they  do,  I  shall  have  to  try  a  few  tricks  of  leger 
demain  I  know.  I  am  no  Herman  or  Keller,  but  I  fancy 
I  can  do  some  things  to  surprise  these  people." 

"You  are  such  a  lucky  fellow  that  I'd  not  be  at  all 
surprised  if  you  could  aid  me  in  finding  Ethel  Driscoll, 
the  lost  heiress,"  said  Ross. 

"Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,"  smiled  Frank.  "I 
scarcely  think  there  is  any  chance  of  finding  her  among 
these  tanned  maidens  of  the  Wedolbas,  but  I'll  look 


The  New  King.  203 

around.  If  I  should  happen  to  come  across  her,  I  will 
hand  her  over  to  you,  and  all  I  ask  is  one-half  the  reward 
offered  for  her  discovery." 

"You  shall  have  it,"  came  seriously  from  Ross.  "I 
will  pay  it  willingly,  in  case  we  ever  get  away  from  this 
island." 


CHAPTER  XXVI, 
THE  KING'S  WIVES. 

Frank  proceeded  to  make  himself  quite  at  home  in  the 
king's  house,  which  was  far  more  comfortable  than  any 
other  house  in  the  village.  He  informed  Ephraim  that 
he  must  turn  cook  and  fix  up  something  to  eat  as  soon  as 
the  storm  had  passed. 

"I'll  do  it  ef  I  kin  find  anything  to  cook,"  said  the  lad 
from  Vermont.  "I'm  sure  I  don't  want  to  eat  anything 
that  the  niggers  in  the  village  cook." 

So,  when  it  had  ceased  to  rain,  Ephraim  began  to  over 
haul  the  dishes  in  the  king's  "kitchen,"  while  Frank  called 
in  some  attendants,  and  asked  for  something  to  cook  in 
the  way  of  vegetables  or  wild  animals. 

The  attendants  hastened  from  the  hut,  uttering  loud 
cries.  In  a  few  moments  they  returned,  escorting  nine 
women  of  various  ages,  from  sixteen  to  sixty. 

One  of  the  attendants,  whose  name  was  Howena,  bowed 
to  the  ground  before  Frank,  saying: 

"All  um  these  belong  to  King  Musweno.  Now  Mus- 
weno  him  be  dead,  all  um  belong  to  new  king.  They  use 
um  new  king  much  good." 

"I  presume  these  are  my  cooks,"  said  Frank,  dubi 
ously. 

"No,"  said  Howena,  shaking  his  head  vigorously — "no 
cook ;  all  um  be  wives." 

"Wives!"  shouted  Frank,  in  horror,  starting  back. 
"Why,  Musweno  must  have  belonged  to  the  Mormons! 
What  do  I  want  of  his  wives?" 

"When  um  king  die  'mong  Wedolbas,  um  next  king 


The  King's  Wives.  205 

have  to  take  all  um  wives.  Must  take  um,  King  Merri- 
well.  They  be  much  good  to  you." 

Howena  waved  his  hand  and  the  women  crowded 
around  Frank,  grinning  and  holding  their  arms.  The 
oldest  and  ugliest  of  the  lot  said : 

"Me  berry  good  wife.  Me  cook,  me  do  lot  of  thing. 
Me  love  new  king.  Him  be  very  handsome." 

She  acted  as  if  she  wanted  to  clasp  Frank  in  her  arms, 
and  he  uttered  a  yell  of  fear.  For  once  in  his  life  Frank 
Merriwell  was  frightened,  and  he  showed  it. 

Ephraim  had  come  from  the  back  room,  and  he  saw 
and  heard  all  that  passed.  He  was  convulsed  with  laugh 
ter,  which  he  tried  to  suppress,  but  it  now  burst  out,  and 
he  roared: 

"Haw !  haw !  haw !  By  gum !  this  is  better  than  a  hull 
bar'l  uv  monkeys.  Kiss  your  wives  all  around,  Frank. 
They're  a  regular  crate  uv  peaches!  Whoop!  Haw! 
haw !  haw !" 

"Be  still !"  shouted  Frank,  fiercely.  "If  you  don't  shut 
up,  I'll  do  something  you  won't  like." 

"What'll  yeou  do?" 

"I'll  turn  every  one  of  these  creatures  over  to  you, 
and  make  you  take  them  for  your  wives." 

The  Vermonter  gave  a  howl  of  terror  and  vanished 
into  the  back  room  with  precipitate  haste,  utterly  routed. 

Frank  was  in  a  quandary.  He  did  not  wish  to  offend 
the  women,  and  he  was  not  inclined  to  accept  the  nine 
coal-black  wenches  as  wives.  He  commanded  them  to 
keep  off  when  they  crowded  too  closely  about  him,  and 
then  he  explained  that,  in  the  country  from  which  he 
came,  men  were  not  allowed  to  have  more  than  one  wife, 
and  so  he  could  not  take  them. 

Immediately  Howena  said : 

"Um  king  take  one  wife,  all  odders  be  killed  right  away 
when  um  say  so.  He  have  um  to  eat." 


206  The  King's  Wives. 

"Great  Scott!"  gurgled  Frank,  while  Austin  Ross 
gasped  for  breath,  "is  this  the  custom  of  these  heathenish 
creatures  ?" 

"That  way  all  um  kings  do,"  explained  Howena. 
"When  um  git  tired  of  wife,  kill  um  and  eat  um.  New 
king  alwus  kill  all  um  wives  he  no  want  to  keep." 

The  women  now  received  the  impression  that  but  one 
of  their  number  was  to  become  the  wife  of  the  white 
king,  and  all  the  others  were  to  be  killed  and  eaten.  This 
filled  them  with  the  utmost  terror,  but  all  were  hopeful 
that  they  would  be  the  one  selected  for  a  wife.  They 
crowded  about  Frank,  jabbering  wildly,  each  one  evi 
dently  trying  to  convince  him  that  she  should  be  the  one 
selected. 

"Jupiter  and  Mars !"  cried  the  young  monarch,  despair 
ingly.  "This  is  more  than  I  can  stand !  It  is  altogether 
too  much!" 

Then  he  yelled  at  Howena: 

"Take  them  all  away!  If  you  don't  take  them  away 
I'll  be  tempted  to  kill  every  one  of  them!  Be  lively 
about  it!" 

Howena  jumped  into  the  midst  of  the  jabbering  women, 
grasping  them,  shaking  them,  and  shouting  at  them.  He 
made  them  understand,  and  they  hastened  from  the  hut, 
still  in  great  fear  of  the  white  king. 

When  they  were  gone,  Frank  collapsed  in  a  heap  on  the 
ground. 

"Merciful  goodness !"  he  gasped.  "Is  there  no  way  to 
escape  from  this  island  at  once?" 

Frank  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the  predicament  for 
the  time  by  giving  notice  that  he  would  require  con 
siderable  time  to  make  the  selection  of  the  wives  he  de 
sired  among  the  late  king's  widows,  although  this  did  not 
seem  to  satisfy  the  natives  very  well,  for  they  thought 


The  King's  Wives.  207 

he  should  choose  his  wives  without  delay,  so  he  might 
begin  feasting  on  the  ones  he  did  not  desire. 

Ephraim  Gallup  chuckled  with  satisfaction,  and  asked 
Frank  how  he  liked  the  "king  business." 

Frank,  being  full  of  fun  himself,  could  appreciate  a 
joke,  and  he  laughed  over  the  affair,  although  he  was 
troubled  to  know  how  he  was  going  to  get  out  of  the 
scrape. 

The  trio,  Frank,  Ephraim  and  Ross,  succeeded  in  ob 
taining  food  to  satisfy  their  hunger,  and  they  felt  much 
better. 

That  night  they  kept  together  in  the  king's  house, 
taking  turns  at  standing  guard,  as  they  did  not  fully  trust 
the  savages. 

With  the  coming  of  another  day  Frank  went  forth 
through  the  village,  accompanied  by  Bondalwe  and  his 
body  guard. 

Wherever  the  new  king  went  the  people  prostrated 
themselves  before  him,  rising  and  shouting  when  he  had 
passed : 

"Great  is  the  king  of  the  Wedolbas !  Long  live  King 
Merriwell !" 

When  he  had  inspected  the  village  Frank  called  the 
people  around  him,  and  made  a  speech.  He  told  them  he 
f  ad  become  their  king  through  the  will  of  the  Spirit  of 
-he  Air,  and  that  the  Spirit  watched  over  him  constantly, 
so  no  harm  could  come  to  him.  He  assured  them  that  he 
would  be  a  good  and  just  king,  that  he  would  look  out 
for  their  welfare,  and  that  he  would  bring  good  fortune 
to  them.  But  he  warned  them  that  they  must  not  try  to 
deceive  him,  that  they  must  be  just  and  open  in  their  deal 
ings  with  him,  and  that  they  must  obey  him  in  every 
thing. 

Bondalwe  translated  Frank's  words,  and  the  people 
shouted : 


208  The  King's  Wives. 

"It  is  good !  We  love  our  white  boy  king !  We  will  be 
just  and  fair  with  King  Merriwell.  We  will  obey  him 
in  everything." 

Frank  then  informed  them  that  he  was  somewhat 
prejudiced  against  eating  human  beings,  and  that  he 
could  not  eat  any  of  the  former  king's  widows.  Neither 
did  he  want  them  for  wives.  The  Spirit  of  the  Air  had 
forbidden  him  to  marry. 

Then  a  number  of  the  natives  cried  out,  and  Bondalwe 
explained  to  Frank  that  the  women  must  all  be  killed  if 
he  did  not  take  them  as  his  wives.  Some  of  the  savages 
volunteered  to  eat  them. 

However,  Frank  sternly  forbade  any  sacrifice  of  the 
sort.  He  then  demanded  the  weapons  which  had  been 
taken  from  himself  and  Ephraim  when  they  were  cap 
tured. 

The  revolvers  were  brought,  and  the  boys  felt  much 
better  when  they  had  regained  possession  of  them. 

In  conclusion,  Frank  succeeded  in  getting  the  throng 
into  a  pleasant  mood  by  several  deftly  worded  phrases, 
and,  as  he  finished,  they  again  shouted : 

"Long  live  King  Merriwell !" 

When  Frank  retired  to  the  "royal  palace"  he  felt  well 
satisfied  with  the  way  matters  stood. 

"There,  Ephraim,"  he  said,  "I  rather  think  we  are  all 
right.  Those  savages  will  not  dare  harm  us  now,  and 
I  have  fixed  it  so  the  late  king's  widows  will  not  bother 
me  and  will  not  be  killed." 

"Oh,  yes,  we're  all  right!"  came  sarcastically  from 
Ephraim's  lips.  "Here  we  be  thousan's  uv  miles  from 
hum,  wrecked  on  an  island  inhabited  by  cannibuls,  and 
not  likely  to  ever  git  off.  Uv  course  we're  all  right !" 

"You  should  feel  well  satisfied  to  think  we  escaped 
being  eaten  by  the  cannibals,  and  let  it  go  at  that." 

"What  yeou  want  to  do  ?    Do  yeou  want  to  live  here  the 


The  King's  Wives.  209 

rest  uv  your  natteral  life?  Do  yeou  intend  to  marry  a 
dozen  ur  so  uv  these  nigger  gals,  an'  settle  daown  here? 
Be  yeou  stuck  on  the  place  because  the  niggers  have  made 
you  king?" 

"Be  careful,"  warned  Frank.  "Remember  you  are  ad 
dressing  the  absolute  monarch  of  Phantom  Island,  and  I 
may  take  a  fancy  to  be  offended  by  what  you  say.  Of 
course  I  do  not  want  to  stay  here  if  I  can  help  it,  but  it 
does  not  look  as  if  we  can  help  it  now.  We  will  do  what 
we  can." 

"Wai,  what  can  we  do?" 

"We  will  plan  that  out  later.  It  will  not  be  difficult 
to  make  arrangements  to  burn  signal  fires  on  various 
parts  of  the  island,  and  keep  flags  of  distress  flying,  so 
any  vessel  which  sights  the  island  will  run  in  here." 

"Wai,  why  don't  ye  see  that  it's  done  right  away? 
Gol  derned  ef  I  want  to  stay  here  long,  an'  some  ship 
might  be  passin'  the  island  this  very  day." 

"Don't  be  in  such  a  rush,  Ephraim.  The  natives  might 
grow  suspicious  if  we  were  in  too  great  a  hurry.  I  will 
make  them  believe  it  is  a  way  I  have  of  worshiping  the 
Spirit  of  the  Air,  and  they  will  let  me  erect  as  many 
signal  flags  as  I  wish." 

Ephraim  growled  and  grumbled,  being  very  anxious 
to  get  off  the  island  without  delay.  Over  and  over  he 
said  he'd  "stay  to  hum  on  the  farm,"  if  he  ever  got  back 
there  again. 

During  the  da}'  Frank  heard  considerable  concerning 
Malwe,  the  princess,  and  he  wondered  why  she  did  not 
come  from  the  other  village.  Toward  night  he  missed 
Bondalwe,  and,  on  making  inquiries,  was  informed  that 
the  giant  war  chief  had  gone  to  the  other  village. 

Then,  for  the  first  time,  Frank  learned  that  Bondalwe 
was  in  love  with  Malwe,  but  she  had  refused  to  become 


2io  The  King's  Wives. 

his  wife.  The  giant,  however,  was  determined  to  have 
the  princess. 

This  interested  Frank  at  once.  Here  was  something 
romantic  on  this  lonely  cannibal  island. 

"I  must  see  Malwe,"  decided  the  boy  king.  "I  must 
see  what  she  looks  like.  The  savages  say  she  is  very 
beautiful ;  but  I  do  not  bank  much  on  their  taste  in  such 
matters. 

With  the  coming  of  another  morning  Frank  learned 
that  Bondalwe  had  not  returned  from  the  other  village, 
and  so  he  set  out  for  that  village  immediately  after  break 
fast,  accompanied  by  Ephraim,  Ross,  and  the  native  body 
guard. 

The  route  led  through  a  dense  forest,  and  the  road  was 
very  narrow.  It  took  nearly  three  hours  of  marching  to 
reach  the  village,  which  was  smaller  and  less  pretentious 
than  the  one  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 

The  people  of  the  second  village  seemed  to  stand  in 
great  awe  of  the  white  boy  king.  They  fell  on  their  faces 
before  Frank. 

Frank  made  them  a  short  speech,  and  then  he  asked 
for  Malwe.  He  was  informed  that  she  had  left  early 
that  morning  in  company  with  Bondalwe  and  five  pro 
tectors  for  the  other  village. 

This  seemed  rather  strange,  as  the  party  had  not  been 
met  with  on  the  road,  and  the  natives  said  there  was  but 
one  main  road  between  the  two  places. 

Frank  puzzled  over  the  matter  a  while,  and  then  he  said 
to  Ephraim : 

"I  don't  like  it.  I  know  Bondalwe  aspired  to  become 
king  in  place  of  old  Musweno,  and  he  was  much  disap 
pointed  when  he  failed  to  ascend  the  throne.  I  believe 
he  is  up  to  some  trickery,  but  what  it  is  I  cannot  under 
stand." 

When  the  party  had  rested  a  while,  and  the  boys  and 


The  King's  Wives.  211 

Ross  had  eaten  some  food  which  they  brought,  and  which 
had  been  cooked  by  Ephraim,  preparations  were  made 
for  starting  back. 

During  the  journey  through  the  forest  a  sharp  watcb 
was  kept  for  Bondalwe  and  his  companions,  but  nothing 
was  seen  of  the  giant  native. 

When  the  other  village  was  reached,  Bondalwe  was 
found  there. 

But  Mai  we  was  not  in  the  village. 

When  questioned,  Bondalwe  told  a  rather  mixed  story 
about  Malwe  going  to  some  place  in  the  forest  v/here  she 
lived  alone — a  place  known  to  no  one  but  hersdf. 

Frank  saw  in  an  instant  that  the  fellow  was  lying. 

"Bondalwe,"  he  said,  sternly,  "you  must  find  Malwe 
and  bring  her  here  to  this  village  without  delay." 

"Can't  do  it,"  declared  the  war  chief,  shaking  his 
head.  "I  have  hunt  for  um  place  where  she  be,  but  no 
find  it.  Don't  know  where  um  be." 

"Well,  you  will  find  it  now,  and  you  will  find  it  right 
away,"  came  grimly  from  Frank's  lips.  "If  you  do  not 
find  it,  and  if  you  do  not  bring  the  princess  before  me, 
I  shall  have  to  look  around  for  a  new  war  chief.  You  will 
lose  your  head." 

The  giant  understood  what  Frank  meant.  His  face 
worked  with  mingled  rage  and  fear,  but  fear  was  the 
victor,  and  he  finally  said : 

"Um  will  do  my  best  to  find  her.    All  right  if  I  can." 

"All  right  if  you  do,  but  all  wrong  if  you  do  not,"  said 
Frank. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MALWE.       . 

That  very  night  a  party  of  natives  brought  in  Sardago 
and  Dalfors  as  captives. 

The  Portuguese  and  the  Dane  were  haggard,  wild-eyed 
and  nearly  starved.  The  fierce  spirit  seemed  gone  out  of 
them  for  the  time.  They  begged  for  something  to  eat. 

The  natives  were  hilarious.  Some  were  for  making  a 
feast  off  the  two  sailors  without  delay.  Others  cautioned 
them  to  bring  the  men  before  the  new  king. 

Frank  heard  that  the  fellows  had  been  captured,  and 
he  directed  that  they  be  brought  before  him.  He  received 
them  upon  the  ghastly  throne  of  King  Musweno. 

Sardago  and  Dalfors  were  told  they  were  being  taken 
before  the  king,  but  when  they  saw  Frank  Merriwell 
seated  on  the  throne  and  surrounded  by  his  attendants  and 
body  guard,  they  were  completely  overcome  with  amaze 
ment. 

"Dat  boy  Merriwell !"  gasped  Sardago,  his  eyes  pop 
ping  from  his  head,  and  his  dark  face  working.  "What 
dat  boy  do  here-a  ?" 

Frank  made  a  commanding  gesture,  and  the  rascally 
sailors  were  brought  close  before  him.  Looking  Sardago 
straight  in  the  eyes,  he  said: 

"You  tried  to  kill  me  when  we  were  both  clinging  to 
a  floating  spar  of  the  Sea  Fox.  Now  the  tables  are  turned 
completely.  Since  that  time  I  have  become  king  of  this 
island.  I  am  absolute  monarch  here,  and  what  I  say  goes. 
The  people  here  are  cannibals — they  delight  to  feast  on 
human  flesh.  All  I  have  to  do  is  to  make  a  sign,  and 


Malwe.  213 

you  and  Dalfors  will  be  immediately  killed,  cut  up,  cooked 
and  eaten." 

The  Dane  uttered  a  cry  of  fear  and  horror,  falling  on 
his  knees,  and  holding  his  hands  out  to  Frank. 

"Don't  kill  me,  Merriwell!"  he  entreated.  "I  didn't 
try  to  hurt  you !  If  I  ever  done  anything  to  you,  it  was 
because  Sardago  paid  me  to  do  so.  Don't  let  them  eat 
me!" 

With  a  fierce  curse,  the  Portuguese  kicked  the  cowardly 
fellow  over  on  his  face.  Sardago  then  folded  his  arms, 
stood  up  very  straight,  and  glared  at  Frank,  snarling : 

"Go  'head,  Merriwell !  Killy  me-a  right  off.  You  don't 
killy  me-a,  some  time  I  killy  you!  You  find-a  Vendas 
Sardago  no  'fraid  of  anything.  He  die  'thout  one 
squeal-a." 

Despite  the  character  of  the  ruffian,  Frank  could  not 
help  admiring  his  nerve,  for  surely  Sardago  displayed 
nerve., 

All  efforts  to  frighten  the  Portuguese  were  vain;  but 
the  Dane  showed  himself  a  very  pitiable  coward. 

At  length  Frank  directed  that  the  rascals  be  taken  to 
the  hut  where  captives  were  confined.  When  the  fellows 
had  been  removed,  the  boy  king  made  a  speech  to  his 
subjects.  He  told  them  that  Sardago  and  Dalfors  had 
been  passengers  on  the  same  ship  that  brought  him  to 
the  island,  and  that  they  must  not  be  killed.  At  this 
there  was  some  murmuring  and  a  small  show  of  dissatis 
faction.  Frank  pretended  to  be  very  angry,  and  soon 
silenced  the  murmuring.  He  then  went  on  to  tell  the 
natives  that  the  two  sailors  were  dangerous,  and  must  be 
kept  closely  guarded.  It  was  plain  that  the  islanders  had 
a  fancy  that  the  fellows  would  be  given  to  them  to  eat 
in  the  course  of  time,  and  the  meeting  broke  up  with 
the  black  men  and  women  partly  satisfied. 


214  Mai  we. 

Frank,  however,  saw  there  was  trouble  coming-,  and, 
when  he  obtained  a  good  opportunity,  he  said  to  Ephraim : 

"You  want  to  keep  your  eyes  open  for  snags,  old  man. 
There's  going  to  be  a  hot  old  time  on  this  island  before 
long,  and  we'll  be  right  in  it." 

"What  do  yeou  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  these  fellows,  being  cannibals,  cannot 
give  up  their  desire  to  eat  white  man  in  sight.  They  will 
get  drunk  on  their  palm  wine,  or  whatever  it  is,  and  then 
they'll  proceed  to  made  a  meal  off  Sardago  and  Dalfors, 
for  all  of  anything  I  may  say  or  do.  That  is,  they  are 
likely  to.  If  that  does  not  happen,  Bondalwe  will  bring 
a  revolution,  and  an  attempt  will  be  made  to  depose 
King  Merriwell  the  First.  Anyway,  there'll  be  warm 
times.  Watch  out." 

The  next  morning  Bondalwe  brought  the  Princess 
Malwe  into  the  village,  The  princess  was  escorted  by  a 
dozen  natives,  and  she  at  once  hurried  to  a  house  that 
belonged  to  her  alone,  where  she  lived  with  several  native 
attendants. 

Frank  Merriwell  caught  but  a  glimpse  of  the  princess, 
but  that  was  enough  to  fill  him  with  unutterable  surprise. 
He  saw  the  princess  was  fully  and  tastily  dressed  in 
grass-cloth  garments,  not  even  her  arms  being  bare.  Her 
face  and  hands  were  dark,  like  the  other  savages,  but  her 
features  seemed  to  be  regular,  and  her  hair  was  straight. 
At  a  distance  she  seemed  really  comely  despite  her  color. 

Frank  went  into  the  king's  house  and  aroused  Ephraim, 
who  was  sleeping. 

"I  have  seen  the  Princess  Malwe,"  said  the  boy  king. 

"Wai,  I  be  gol  derned  ef  yeou  ain't  all  flustered  up — • 
yeou  seem  excited  over  it!  Was  she  homblier  than  you 
expected  ?" 

"She  is  really  pretty." 

"Hey?"  squawked  Ephraim.     "Yeou  don't  mean  to 


Mai  we.  215 

say  yeou  kin  see  anything  pretty  abaout  a  nigger  gal 
on  this  dinged  old  island  ?  Git  out,  Frank !  Be  yeou  goin' 
foolish !" 

"I  actually  mean  to  say  that  she  is  well  formed  and 
pretty — if  you  do  not  take  her  color  into  consideration." 

"That  settles  it!"  groaned  Ephraim.  "Yeou  won't 
burn  no  fires  ur  put  up  signals  to  attract  passing  ves 
sels." 

"Why  not?" 

"Yeou'll  take  the  Princess  Mai  we  fer  a  wife,  an'  settle 
right  daown  here  on  this  island  for  the  rest  uv  your 
natteral  days.  Yeou'll  fergit  Inza  Burrage  and  Elsie 
Bellwood,  an'  yeou'll  cotton  to  this  coal-black  princess,  an' 
let  it  go  at  that !  I  wish  I  was  to  hum  on  the  farm !" 

Frank  laughed. 

"Don't  feel  so  bad,  Ephraim,"  he  chuckled ;  "I'll  let  you 
have  all  of  King  Musweno's  widows,  so  you'll  not  be 
left." 

Bondalwe  hung  about  the  house  of  the  princess,  seem 
ing  to  watch  over  her  in  a  jealous  manner. 

Frank  sat  in  front  of  the  king's  house,  watching  to 
obtain  another  glimpse  of  the  princess.  The  more  he 
thought  about  her,  the  greater  became  his  wonder.  It 
did  not  seem  possible  that  this  girl,  who  was  so  unlike 
the  other  females  of  the  Wedolbas,  could  be  the  daughter 
of  the  dead  king,  who  was  a  horrible-looking  old  rascal. 

Musweno  had  been  buried  in  the  night,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  natives  in  disposing  of  their  kings,  his 
burial  spot  being  a  secret  from  all  but  those  who  buried 
him.  Frank  could  not  but  wonder  if  this  custom  was 
caused  by  a  fear  of  the  natives  that  the  king's  body 
might  be  exhumed  and  eaten. 

That  afternoon,  Bondalwe  having  disappeared  for  the 
time,  Frank  saw  the  princess  peering  out  cautiously,  ia- 


216  Mai  we. 

specting  him  with  curious  eyes.  Immediately  he  called, 
in  a  guarded  tone: 

"Malwe,  Malwe,  come  out.  I  will  not  harm  you,  do 
not  be  afraid.  I  wish  to  speak  with  you.  Come  out." 

To  his  unutterable  surprise  the  princess  uttered  a  cry 
of  joy,  rushed  out  and  fell  fainting  at  his  feet. 

Frank  looked  down  at  her  in  amazement.  She  was 
indeed  pretty,  and  he  felt  his  heart  give  a  leap.  He 
stooped  and  lifted  her  in  his  arms. 

As  Frank  did  this,  there  was  a  roar  of  rage,  and  Bon- 
dalwe  came  dashing  up,  tore  the  princess  from  Frank,  and 
gave  the  boy  a  heavy  blow  that  sent  him  reeling. 

The  young  monarch  was  dazed  for  a  moment  by  the 
shock  of  the  blow  and  the  suddenness  of  the  assault.  He 
saw  the  giant  fling  the  princess  into  the  arms  of  another 
savage,  and  then  Bondalwe  caught  a  spear  and  dashed  at 
Frank  Merriwell. 

It  was  plainly  the  intention  of  the  war  chief  to  run 
Frank  through  the  body.  His  face  was  working  with 
passion,  showing  his  fiendish,  pointed  teeth,  and  cries  of 
fury  escaped  his  lips. 

The  savages  came  running  from  all  directions,  and 
they  stood  staring  wide-eyed  at  the  spectacle  of  the  war 
chief  and  the  white 'boy  king  engaged  in  deadly  conflict. 

Frank  knew  he  was  in  great  peril,  and  he  succeeded 
in  squirming  aside  in  time  to  avoid  the  thrust  of  the 
spear. 

This  brought  the  giant  black  man  and  the  boy  close 
together. 

Crack ! — Frank's  hard  fist  landed  on  Bondalwe's  jaw. 

The  war  chief  knew  nothing  about  the  science  of  fight 
ing  with  fists.  That  blow  was  a  stunner,  and  it  nearly 
knocked  the  big  fellow  over.  It  made  him  see  more  than 
a  thousand  stars  and  bright  lights,  and,  by  the  time  he 
steadied  himself  on  his  feet,  the  boy  was  at  him  again. 


Malwe.  217 

This  time  Frank  uppercut,  taking  Bondalwe  under  the 
chin,  and  driving  the  fellow's  pointed  teeth  together. 
Then  the  boy  gave  the  giant  one  in  the  pit  of  the  stomach, 
and  Bondalwe  was  rounded  up  in  a  moment. 

That  gave  Frank  the  very  opportunity  he  was  looking 
for.  He  struck  a  swinging  blow  that  caught  the  giant 
on  the  jaw  below  the  ear,  and  the  great  war  chief 
dropped  like  a  log,  fairly  knocked  out ! 

Cries  of  wonder  came  from  the  savages  who  had  seen 
this  brief  battle.  They  could  not  believe  it  possible  the 
boy  had  conquered  Bondalwe,  the  mighty,  with  his  bare 
hands. 

Frank  bent  over  the  fallen  native  to  see  if  the  job  were 
finished.  As  he  did  so  a  savage-faced  islander  aimed  a 
spear  at  his  back  and  tried  to  run  him  through. 

Bang! 

Ephraim  Gallup  fired  from  the  doorway  of  the  king's 
house,  and  the  native  with  the  spear  dropped  dead. 

Tom !  torn !  torn ! 

The  war  drums  were  beating !  The  natives  were  run 
ning  to  and  fro,  spears  and  weapons  in  hand. 

"By  gum,  Frank!"  cried  the  boy  from  Vermont.  "I 
guess  there's  a  big  raow  on." 

"That's  right,"  returned  Frank.  "Bondalwe  has 
planned  this,  and  the  natives  are  aroused  against  us. 
We'll  have  to  run  for  our  lives.  Where's  Ross  ?" 

"I'm  here,"  cried  the  man,  as  he  came  running  from 
the  house.  "What  can  we  do?" 

"Follow  me!" 

Frank  rushed  into  the  midst  of  a  knot  of  savages. 
They  parted  and  scattered  like  sheep  before  him,  one  of 
them  dropping  the  unconscious  Princess  Malwe  to  the 
ground. 

Frank  caught  up  the  girl,  flung  her  over  his  shoulder, 


218  Mai  we. 

shouted  again  for  his  companions  to  follow  him,  and 
rushed  for  the  road  that  led  through  the  forest  to  the  sea 
shore. 

Ephraim  and  Austin  Ross  kept  close  at  Frank's  heels. 

The  natives  would  have  shot  arrows  and  cast  spears 
after  them,  but  they  feared  to  wound  the  princess,  so  they 
pursued,  making  the  forest  resound  with  their  fierce 
shouts. 

The  fugitives  quickly  disappeared  into  the  forest. 

"What  do  you  mean  to  do?"  asked  Ross,  calling  to 
Frank,  who  was  in  advance.  "Every  savage  on  this  is 
land  will  be  aroused  against  us.  We  are  in  a  bad  scrape." 

"Not  so  bad  as  we  were  when  we  first  met,"  was  the 
answer.  "The  black  fellows  are  somewhat  afraid  of  me, 
for  all  of  anything  Bondalwe  may  have  told  them.  We 
will  try  to  reach  a  place  of  shelter  on  the  coast,  where  we 
can  hold  them  off  for  a  time.  It  is  possible  we  may  be 
able  to  attract  some  passing  ship.  If  not,  we'll  try  to 
make  peace  with  the  savages." 

Frank  was  fleet  of  foot,  and  he  ran  swiftly  for  some 
time,  for  all  of  the  burden  he  bore.  Then  he  passed  the 
girl  to  Ephraim,  and  fell  to  the  rear,  examining  his  re 
volvers. 

The  savages  were  coming,  as  their  shouts  plainly  told. 
Amid  the  other  cries,  Frank  could  hear  shouts  which  did 
not  seem  like  those  that  came  from  the  lips  of  the  sav 
ages.  He  stopped  short  in  the  narrow  road,  listening  and 
waiting. 

In  a  moment  the  foremost  of  the  pursuers  came  up 
with  a  rush,  and,  as  they  burst  suddenly  into  view,  Frank 
beheld  the  two  persons  who  had  uttered  the  strange  cries. 

They  were  Sardago  and  Dalfors ! 

The  natives  had  released  the  two  sailors,  believing  they 
would  know  best  how  to  attack  and  overcome  Merriwell, 


Mai  we.  219 

whom  they  feared,  and  the  ruffians  joined  heartily  in  the 
pursuit. 

When  he  saw  Frank,  Sardago  gave  a  shout  of  triumph. 

"Now  you  be  no  king!"  he  yelled,  fiercely.  "Pretty 
soon  we  cutty  your  t'roat.  Niggers  eaty  you  uppa!" 

He  brandished  a  knife  as  he  leaped  toward  Frank. 

The  boy  calmly  lifted  one  of  his  revolvers,  which  he 
had  held  concealed,  and  shot  the  Portuguese  through  the 
right  leg. 

Screaming  and  yelling  bitterly,  Sardago  fell  to  the 
ground. 

Dalfors  uttered  a  cry  of  fear,  and  leaped  out  of  sight 
into  the  thick  brush  beside  the  road. 

The  natives  stopped  abruptly,  showing  how  much  they 
held  Frank  Merriwell  in  awe,  many  of  them  getting  out 
of  sight. 

Frank  did  not  feel  like  wasting  a  single  shot,  so  he 
turned  and  hurried  after  his  companions,  whom  he  soon 
overtook. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  retreat  to  the  shore  the 
pursuers  did  not  press  the  fugitives  very  closely. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  took  turns  in  carrying  Malwe,  al 
though  the  boy  from  Vermont  was  for  leaving  the  girl. 

"What's  the  good  of  botherin'  with  her?"  he  grumbled. 
"She's  in  the  way." 

"We'll  cling  to  her,"  said  Frank.  "It  may  be  necessary 
to  make  a  treaty  with  these  savages,  and  we  can  do  so 
much  better  if  we  hold  her  in  our  power.  We  may  be 
able  to  bring  them  to  terms  in  that  way." 

"By  gum !  that's  so !     Yeou've  got  a  long  head,  Frank." 

But  it  was  not  necessary  to  make  a  treaty  with  the  sav 
ages,  for,  when  they  burst  out  of  the  forest  and  came  upon 
the  beach,  to  their  infinite  amazement  and  joy,  a  vessel  lay 
at  anchor  beyond  the  reef,  and  a  boatload  of  sailors  were 
,  just  landing  on  the  island. 


22O  Malwe. 

The  three  fugitives  hastened  toward  the  sailors,  utter 
ing  cries  of  joy. 

To  the  surprise  of  all  three,  the  sailors  did  not  seem  at 
all  surprised  to  find  them  there. 

But  Frank  Merri well's  amazement  and  delight  may 
be  imagined  when  he  saw  with  the  sailors  Captain  Justin 
Bellwood,  whom  he  knew  very  well  indeed. 

The  captain  greeted  Frank,  whom  he  was  astonished  to 
see,  saying: 

"Where  shall  we  meet  next?  Last  time  it  was  in  the 
heart  of  the  Florida  Everglades." 

"How  did  you  happen  here?"  asked  Frank. 

"Picked  up  a  bottle  at  sea.  Paper  in  bottle,  and  a  few 
words  scrawled  on  paper,  plainly  written  with  great  haste. 
Said  it  was  expected  the  schooner  Sea  Fox,  John  Scudd, 
master,  would  be  driven  upon  the  shore  of  an'  island  here 
abouts.  This  brief  message  was  written  by  Cap'n  Scudd, 
at  the  last  moment  before  the  Sea  Fox  struck,  sealed  and 
corked  up  in  the  bottle,  and  tossed  into  the  sea.  By  a  rare 
chance,  I  picked  it  up,  and  I  set  about  finding  this  island. 
I  found  it  without  trouble,  but  nearly  lost  it  again  in  a 
cloud  of  mist.  However,  the  mist  lifted  after  a  time,  and 
here  we  are.  How  many  escaped  from  the  Fox?" 

"Five,  two  of  whom  are  pursuing  us  with  the  canni 
bals,  who  live  on  this  island.  Take  us  off  immediately, 
before  they  come  up.  We  will  explain  everything  later." 

So  they  entered  the  boat,  which  was  manned  and  shoved 
off  by  the  sailors.  Frank  insisted  on  taking  Malwe  along, 
to  the  wonder  and  dismay  of  all;  but  they  did  not  oppose 
him. 

When  they  were  nearly  out  to  the  reef  the  natives,  with 
Dalfors  among  them,  came  out  of  the  woods,  ran  down  to 
the  shore,  and  yelled  at  them.  Dalfors  begged  them  to 
come  back  and  take  him  off,  but  they  paid  no  attention  to 
his  entreaties. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ELSIE    BELLWOOD. 

Elsie  Bell-wood,  the  captain's  daughter,  was  aboard  the 
Saucy  Susan,  as  the  captain's  new  vessel  was  called,  and 
she  greeted  Frank  warmly.  Indeed,  in  her  impulsive 
way,  she  actually  flung  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and  gave 
him  a  kiss,  much  to  the  amusement  of  Ephraim  Gallup, 
who  slyly  whispered  to  his  friend : 

"What  be  yeou  goin'  to  do  with  the  Princess  Mai  we 
naow?  Yeou  will  have  to  give  up  the  black  gal,  ur  the 
white  one  will  be  jellus." 

Elsie  looked  at  Malwe,  who  had  regained  conscious 
ness,  in  some  amazement,  but  Frank  said  a  few  low  words 
that  caused  the  captain's  daughter  to  take  the  princess 
into  her  cabin  without  delay. 

From  various  points  where  they  had  been  hidden  along 
the  shore,  the  natives  brought  out  canoes,  and  they  were 
soon  paddling  off  toward  the  Saucy  Susan,  as  if  they 
actually  meditated  attacking  her. 

Seeing  this,  Captain  Bellwood  gave  orders  to  get  up  the 
anchor  and  get  under  way. 

"We'll  have  to  come  back  here  and  leave  the  black  girl 
later  on,"  said  the  captain. 

Frank  smiled. 

It  was  not  found  necessary  to  return  to  Phantom 
Island. 

When  Elsie  Bellwood  came  from  the  cabin,  she  was 
accompanied  by  a  pretty,  dark-eyed  white  girl,  who  wore 
one  of  Elsie's  dresses. 

Every  one  of  the  men,  with  the  exception  of  Frank, 


222  Elsie  Bellwood. 

stared  at  the  strange  giri  in  blank  astonishment.  Frank 
advanced  quickly  to  her  side,  took  her  hands,  said  a  few 
low  words,  and  then  turned  to  Captain  Bellwood. 

"Captain,"  smiled  the  boy,  "permit  me  to  present  to 
you  Princess  Malwe,  of  Phantom  Island." 

"But — but  she  is  no  black  girll"  stammered  the  old 
master. 

"Not  now,"  said  Frank.  "She  was  black  a  short  time 
ago,  so  far  as  her  face  and  hands  were  concerned,  for  they 
were  stained  that  color.  Bondalwe,  a  great  chief  among 
the  natives,  wished  to  make  her  his  wife ;  but  she  did  not 
desire  Bondalwe  for  a  husband.  She  was  the  adopted 
daughter  of  old  Musweno,  lately  king  of  the  island.  The 
old  fellow,  though  a  cannibal,  seems  to  have  had  some  re 
deeming  qualities,  for  he  protected  her  from  Bondalwe. 
I  am  inclined  to  fancy  that  old  Musweno  contemplated 
taking  Malwe  for  his  own  wife  as  soon  as  he  could  find 
time  or  an  excuse  to  kill  and  eat  one  or  two  of  the  wives 
he  had.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he  enabled  her  to  escape 
Bondalwe  as  long  as  he  lived." 

"But  how  did  she  come  on  the  island?"  asked  Captain 
Bellwood. 

"She  was  cast  on  the  island  through  a  shipwreck,  and, 
of  seven  who  reached  that  cannibal  island,  she  was  the 
only  one  spared.  The  others  were  killed  and  eaten  by  the 
natives.  Old  Musweno  saved  this  girl." 

"But  why  was  her  face  black  a  little  while  ago?" 

"That  was  some  of  Bondalwe's  work.  When  we  were 
captured,  he  had  her  removed  to  another  village  than  the 
one  to  which  we  were  taken,  told  her  I  was  a  most  blood 
thirsty  cannibal,  and  caused  her  to  hide  in  the  forest. 
Then  I  made  him  bring  her  in,  and  he  had  her  blacken 
her  face  and  hands,  so  I  would  think  her  one  of  the 
natives.  He  must  have  ordered  all  the  natives  to  keep 
still  about  Malwe  being  white,  for  not  one  of  them  men- 


Elsie  Bellwood.  223 

tioned  it.  When  she  saw  me  and  became  aware  that  I 
was  not  such  a  terrible  being  as  Bondalwe  declared,  she 
rushed  out  and  fainted  at  my  feet.  As  she  fell,  her 
sleeve  was  thrust  up,  and  I  saw  that  her  flesh  was 
white." 

"Wai,  gol  dern  my  skin!"  gurgled  Ephraim.  "Then 
yeou've  known  all  ther  time  that  she  wasn't  a  black  gal  ?" 

"All  the  time  since  that." 

Then  Frank  turned  to  Austin  Ross,  saying : 

"Mr.  Ross,  permit  me  to  introduce  to  you  Miss  Ethel 
Driscoll,  the  lost  heiress  for  whom  you  are  searching." 

It  was  true  that  "Princess  Malwe"  was  the  lost  heiress. 
She  owed  her  rescue  from  the  cannibal  island  to  the  nerve 
and  bravery  of  Frank,  and  she  expressed  her  gratitude  as 
far  as  possible  in  words. 

She  and  Elsie  Bellwood  became  fast  friends. 

Captain  Bellwood  was  bound  on  a  trading  expedition  to 
the  west  coast  of  Africa,  so  it  was  necessary  for  Ross  and 
Miss  Driscoll  to  go  along  till  a  vessel  bound  for  America 
should  be  seen. 

Sardago  and  Dalfors  were  left  to  their  fate  on  Phan 
tom  Island,  and  Frank  wondered  if  they  became  powerful 
chiefs  among  the  cannibals  or  were  slain  and  eaten. 

"I  hope  they  was  eaten,*;  said  Ephraim,  as  they  sailed 
away. 

A  week  later  found  the  Saucy  Susan  lying  at  anchor 
in  the  Fernand  Vas  River,  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa. 

The  Saucy  Susan  was  a  trader,  loaded  with  cloth, 
beads,  powder,  bullets,  old  muskets,  brass  and  iron  ket 
tles,  and  such  other  articles  as  the  natives  of  the  country 
were  most  likely  to  prize. 

In  exchange,  Captain  Bellwood  hoped  to  secure  a  cargo 
of  ivory,  mahogany  and  a  few  skins  of  wild  beasts. 

Ross  and  Miss  Driscoll  had  been  placed  on  board  a 
vessel  bound  for  New  York.  Ethel  Driscoll  had  admired 


224  E^sie  Bellwood. 

Frank  Merriwell  greatly,  and  she  had  told  him  over  and 
over  that,  if  it  were  true  that  she  had  been  left  a  for 
tune  by  her  uncle,  she  should  give  him  some  token  of  re 
membrance  in  reward  for  his  bravery  in  saving  her  from 
Bondalwe. 

Frank,  with  his  usual  gallantry,  had  assured  Ethel  that 
he  had  been  a  thousand  times  rewarded  by  his  satisfac 
tion  in  being  of  service  to  her. 

But  that  did  not  satisfy  the  girl,  who  was  pretty  and  re 
fined,  for  all  that  she  had  been  some  time  among  the 
natives  of  the  island,  the  old  king  having  adopted  her  as 
his  daughter. 

She  was  greatly  fascinated  by  Frank,  and  she  was 
plainly  determined  to  see  him  again  when  he  should  return 
to  the  United  States.  That  was  why  she  insisted  on  giv 
ing  him  something  as  a  remembrance  token. 

Elsie  Bellwood  was  relieved  when  Ethel  was  placed  on 
board  the  vessel  bound  for  New  York. 

Although  the  two  girls  had  become  warm  friends  in  a 
very  short  time,  as  girls  usually  do,  Elsie  had  secretly 
been  very  jealous  of  Ethel. 

In  the  past,  as  my  old  readers  know,  Elsie  had  been  in 
love  with  Frank,  but  had  tried  to  forget  him,  knowing 
he  was  loved  by  another  girl,  Inza  Burrage,  who 
had  befriended  Elsie  when  Captain  Bellwood  lost  a  ves 
sel  on  Tiger  Tooth  Ledge,  off  Fardale  village. 

Feeling  that  it  would  be  a  mean  thing  to  attempt  to 
"cut  out"  Inza,  Elsie  had  struggled  to  tear  Frank  Merri- 
well's  image  from  her  heart — had  even  repulsed  him  when 
he  betrayed  more  than  friendly  interest  in  her. 

But  now  Elsie  began  to  believe  it  was  useless  for  her 
to  fight  against  her  own  heart.  She  had  said,  over  and 
over,  that  she  hoped  she  might  never  again  meet  Frank, 
but  fate  flung  them  together  in  the  most  remarkable 


Elsie  Bellwood.  225 

manner,  so  that  the  girl  began  to  feel  that  it  was  use 
less  to  struggle  against  destiny. 

It  was  with  her  lips  alone  that  she  had  said  she  hoped 
she  might  never  again  meet  Frank.  All  the  while,  in  her 
heart,  she  was  longing  to  meet  him. 

As  for  Frank,  he  was  not  certain  of  himself  no  further 
than  that,  in  a  certain  way,  he  felt  bound  to  Inza,  hav 
ing  known  her  first.  It  was  true  that  it  had  been  a  case  of 
boy  and  girl  love  between  them,  and  they  had  not  spoken 
seriously  of  their  affection,  but  there  had  seemed  to  be  a 
tacit  understanding  that  made  them  more  than  lovers  for 
the  moment. 

In  his  dreams  Frank  sometimes  saw  dark-eyed  Inza 
hovering  near  him,  and  sometimes  it  was  Elsie,  with  her 
golden  hair  and  "eyes  of  tender  blue." 

Inza  seemed  to  wield  a  strange  and  potent  power  over 
him  when  she  was  near,  while  Elsie  appealed  to  the  ten 
derer  side  of  his  nature.  Inza  he  admired  for  her 
beauty,  her  ready  wit,  and  her  self-reliance ;  but  Elsie  was 
a  girl  to  shield  and  protect,  to  shelter  from  every  ill  wind 
and  harm. 

Frank  saw  there  was  something  the  matter  with  Elsie, 
even  after  Ethel  Driscoll  had  left  the  schooner.  She 
seemed  to  avoid  him,  and  he  fancied  there  was  a  shadow 
on  her  pretty  face. 

He  was  determined  to  know  what  this  meant,  and  he 
watched  till  he  found  a  good  opportunity  to  corner  her 
so  she  could  not  escape.  Then  he  questioned  her. 

At  first  Elsie  declared  there  was  nothing  the  matter; 
but,  by  skillful  questioning,  Frank  finally  obtained  an 
inkling  of  the  truth.  He  laughed  at  her. 

"Surely  you  are  not  jealous  of  Miss  Driscoll!"  he  ex 
claimed,  reproachfully. 

Elsie  hung  her  head,  her  cheeks  crimson. 

"Foolish  girl !"  cried  Frank.     "Why,  Ethel  Driscoll  is 


226  Elsie  Bellwood. 

nothing  to  me.  She  was  very  unfortunate,  and  it  was 
out  of  politeness  that  I  treated  her  with  the  greatest  con 
sideration." 

"She  is  an  heiress,"  said  Elsie. 

"What  of  that  ?    I  have  a  few  dollars  of  my  own." 

"And  she  is  very  pretty." 

"There  are  others." 

"She  is  in  love  with  you." 

"How  do  you  know  ?" 

"She  told  me  so." 

Frank  whistled. 

"This  is  interesting." 

"You  act  as  if  you  did  not  suspect  it  before." 

"Well,  I  did  not.  She  seemed  very  grateful  to  me  for 
saving  her  from  the  cannibals;  but  I  did  not  fancy  she 
had  fallen  in  love  with  me.  Are  you  sure,  Elsie?" 

"Of  course  I  am." 

"Well,  don't  let  it  worry  you." 

"You  do  not  care  for  her  ?" 

"I  think  she  is  a  charming  girl,  but  I  am  not  in  love 
with  her,  Elsie.  How  could  I  be  with  you  near?" 

He  had  secured  her  hand.  She  tried  to  draw  it  away, 
but  he  held  it  fast  and  captured  the  other  one.  He  bent 
nearer  and  nearer,  his  eyes  on  her  face. 

"Elsie,"  he  half  whispered,  "the  last  time  we  met  was 
in  the  Great  Dismal  Swamp  of  Florida.  Then  I  told  you 
how  often  I  had  thought  of  you — how  often  I  had 
dreamed  of  you." 

"Have  you  forgotten " 

She  checked  herself,  unable  to  utter  Inza's  name.  She 
was  trembling  a  little,  and  the  warm  color  was  coming 
and  going  in  her  cheeks.  Never  had  she  looked  prettier 
than  at  that  moment. 

Frank  felt  his  heart  fluttering  in  his  bosom,  and  one 


Elsie  Bellwood.  227 

arm  slipped  about  her  waist.  He  drew  her  close  to  him, 
and  held  her  there,  as  he  hastily  went  on. 

"I  have  forgotten  nothing,  Elsie.  Fate  has  not  been 
kind  to  us  in  everything,  but  has  persisted  in  flinging  us 
together.  It  has  convinced  me  that  there  is  something 
that  draws  us  one  to  the  other.  Fate  was  not  kind  to  us 
when  it  brought  us  together  so  late  the  first  time.  And 
still  we  were  but  boy  and  girl — we  are  still.  Perhaps  we 
regard  these  matters  too  seriously " 

"No,  no,  Frank — I  am  sure  not." 

"Elsie,  little  sweetheart!" 

Her  head  was  bowed  still  lower,  and  her  breath  caused 
her  lips  to  flutter.  She  did  not  speak. 

"Elsie,  I  tell  you  the  truth  when  I  say  that  I  think  of 
you  oftener  than  of  any  other.  You  come  to  me  oftener 
in  my  dreams.  I  see  you  near  me,  with  your  sky-blue 
eyes,  your  sunshiny  hair,  your  lips  like  cupid's  bow,  and 
your  smile  like  a  summer's  morning.  I  have  dreamed 
that  you  came  to  me  and  whispered  over  and  over,  'I  love 
you,  Frank;  I  shall  always  love  you,  and  I  shall  love  no 
other.'" 

She  was  silent,  enchanted ;  but  her  heart  was  throbbing 
wild  with  pleasure  that  was  painful.  She  had  pictured 
this  moment  to  herself,  and  now  it  had  come. 

Frank,  quite  unconsciously,  was  becoming  poetical.  He 
did  not  pause  to  form  his  phrases,  but  they  came  from  his 
lips  despite  himself.  Had  he  thought  what  he  was  say 
ing,  he  would  have  hesitated  and  regarded  the  language 
as  stilted  and  unnatural ;  but,  as  he  did  not  pause  to  con 
sider,  his  words  were  the  natural  expression  of  the  feel 
ings  within  his  heart. 

"Sweetheart,"  he  continued,  "we  are  together  now,  so 
let's  forget  the  past — let's  be  happy  for  the  present.  The 
future  will  give  us  what  is  our  due." 

"Oh,  Frank !  how  can  I  be  quite  happy  when  I  think  of 


228  Elsie  Bellwood. 

her — when  I  think  that  I  may  be  doing  such  a  mean 
thing?" 

"Elsie,  we  will  write  to  her — we  will  tell  her  everything. 
We  are  still  very  young.  We  may  think  now  that  we 
shall  never,  never  care  for  anybody  else ;  but  I  have  read 
a  hundred  times  that  youth  is  changeable." 

"I  care  not  what  you  have  read,  Frank;  I  know  my 
heart  will  never  change." 

He  drew  her  still  closer  and  kissed  her,  murmuring : 

"Dear  little  Elsie!" 

A  gruff  cough  sounded  behind  them,  causing  them  to 
part  and  turn  in  no  little  consternation. 

Captain  Bellwood  was  standing  near  at  hand,  with  his 
back  toward  them,  surveying  the  cloudless  sky  in  a  nauti 
cal  fashion. 

"For  all  that  it's  so  calm  now,  there  may  be  a  storm 
kicking  up,"  he  said.  "The  air  seems  very  close  around 
here." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE    MISSING    LINK. 

The  second  day  after  the  Saucy  Susan  dropped  anchor 
in  the  Fernand  Vas,  a  white  man  came  on  board,  brought 
off  in  one  of  the  native  boats. 

He  was  a  thin,  long-necked,  red-nosed  man,  wearing 
spectacles,  and  having  an  unmistakably  scholarly  air,  de 
spite  the  fact  that  he  was  dressed  in  coarse,  stout  clothing 
and  heavy  boots. 

He  introduced  himself  as  Professor  Johnson  Bonner,  a 
famous  naturalist.  Frank  had  heard  of  Professor  Bon 
ner,  and  so  was  interested  in  the  man  at  once. 

The  prtffessor  explained  that  he  had  been  left  there 
eight  days  before  by  an  English  vessel,  and  had  just  com 
pleted  preparations  for  an  extensive  trip  into  the  interior. 

"To  confess  the  truth,"  smiled  the  lanky  professor, 
"my  mission  is  a  most  remarkable  one." 

"Then  you  are  not  going  inland  to  trade  ?"  asked  Cap 
tain  Bellwood. 

"No,  sir.     I  have  quite  a  different  object  in  view." 

"If  you  were  going  to  trade,  the  natives  here  might 
cause  you  trouble  and  delay." 

"I  have  found  that  out.  They  are  very  jealous  of 
their  privilege  to  trade  with  the  white  men  who  come  to 
the  coast,  and  they  do  not  wish  the  white  men  to  reach  the 
interior  tribes,  from  whom  the  finest  ivory,  and,  in  fact, 
nearly  all  things  of  value  to  the  trader,  come." 

Captain  Bellwood  knew  this  well  enough,  having  made 
several  trading  voyages  along  the  African  coast. 

"Their  jealousy  made  it  quite  difficult  for  me  to  get 


230  The  Missing  Link. 

away  with  my  loads  of  goods,"  Professor  Bonner  went 
on.  "Now  I  have  it  all  arranged.  They  understand  why 
I  am  carrying  so  many  bundles." 

"And  why  are  you,  if  you  are  not  going  to  the  interior 
to  trade?" 

"My  dear  captain,  I  shall  be  forced  to  purchase  my  pas 
sage  inland,  and  so  I  must  have  a  plentiful  supply  of 
goods  or  presents." 

The  old  salt  nodded. 

"Very  good,  professor,"  he  said.  "I  asked  the  ques 
tion  to  see  if  you  knew  what  you  were  doing.  It  is  evi 
dent  you  do." 

The  tall  man  drew  himself  up  stiffly. 

"You  are  not  the  first  person  to  hint  that  I  am  on  a 
crazy  search,"  he  said;  "but  I  will  show  them — I  will 
show  the  world  a  wonder  that  shall  make  me  famous  for 
all  time." 

Frank  was  listening  attentively,  and  he  was  curious  to 
know  why  Professor  Bonner  contemplated  visiting  the 
interior.  It  was  evident  the  man  was  not  going  on  an 
exploring  expedition,  and  he  had  stated  that  he  was  not 
going  for  the  purpose  of  trading.  He  did  not  appear  like 
a  hunter  who  was  about  to  make  the  dangerous  venture 
in  search  of  big  game,  and  his  language  had  revealed 
that  he  was  going  in  search  of  something. 

Captain  Bellwood  was  not  a  little  curious  himself. 

"Professor,"  he  said,  "you  make  me  inquisitive — I  trust 
not  impertinent.  Would  you  mind  telling  us  why  you 
are  going  inland  amid  savage  tribes  of  black  men  and  ten 
thousand  dangers  of  which  you  know  nothing  at  all?" 

"Ah — ahem !"  coughed  the  professor.  "Of  course  I  do 
not  mind.  In  fact,  I  came  here  to  tell  you,  to  see  if  you 
have  not  a  brave  man — a  faithful  and  brave  fellow — you 
can  spare  me  as  a  companion.  I  need  such  a  companion." 

The  captain  shook  his  head. 


The  Missing  Link.  231 

"I  fear  I  cannot  spare  a  man  of  my  crew,"  he  said. 

"Wait,"  urged  Bonner.  "I  may  be  able  to  make  such  a 
man  famous.  His  name  may  be  printed  in  newspapers  all 
over  the  world  as  the  companion  of  Professor  Bonner, 
who  made  the  most  wonderful  discovery  ever  known." 

"My  curiosity  increases,"  admitted  the  captain.  "Go 
on.  What  is  the  object  of  your  expedition?" 

The  professor  took  a  roll  of  parchment  from  a  little 
case,  and  spread  it  out  before  the  captain. 

"See  this,"  he  directed.  "This  is  a  chart  of  the  course 
I  mean  to  follow,  and  the  unknown  land  I  hope  to  reach. 
See  this  dotted  line.  It  runs  up  the  Rembo,  crosses  the 
Oviguli,  Louvendji,  Agouyai,  and  other  rivers;  it  passes 
through  the  land  of  the  Commi,  Bakalai,  Apono,  Ashango 
and  other  tribes;  it  continues  through  the  lands  of  the 
Dwarfs ;  and  here  it  comes  to  a  region  that  has  never  been 
explored  by  white  men." 

'"All  that  is  interesting;  but  why  should  you  desire  to 
make  such  a  journey,  if  not  for  exploration?  Only  a  fool 
.would  think  of  going  so  far  inland  to  trade,  and  I  do  not 
take  you  for  a  fool,  professor." 

"Some  do,"  said  the  tall  man,  dryly.  "As  I  have  said, 
that  region  right  there" — indicating  a  point  on  his  chart 
with  his  finger — "has  never  been  explored  by  white  men. 
A  white  man  once  reached  its  border,  and  that  not  so  very 
long  ago.  He  had  a  photographic  outfit  with  him,  and 
he  brought  back  some  remarkable  pictures.  I  have  one 
here.  Look  at  it,  captain." 

He  removed  the  photograph  from  a  leather  pocket,  and 
placed  it  on  the  chart  before  Captain  Bellwood. 

"Why,  it's  a  gorilla!"  exclaimed  the  master  of  the 
Saucy  Susan.  "And  yet — and  yet -" 

"And  yet  it  is  not  a  gorilla — exactly  so.  You  see,  it 
much  more  resembles  a  hairy  man,  with  a  very  short 
stump  of  a  tail.  Its  arms  are  not  so  long  as  those  of  a 


232  The  Missing  Link. 

gorilla,  who  walks  on  all  fours,  standing  in  a  half  upright 
position.  Its  head  is  far  better  formed  than  that  of  a 
gorilla.  The  nose  is  not  so  flat,  the  teeth  less  prominent, 
the  ear  better  formed,  and  the  forehead  higher.  It  is  a 
creature  of  much  greater  intelligence  than  the  gorilla,  and 
still  it  is  not  a  man,  as  the  stump  of  a  tail  indicates." 

"Well,  well!"  exclaimed  Captain  Bellwood.  "I  am 
growing  strangely  interested.  If  this  creature  is  not  a 
gorilla  and  is  not  a  man,  what  is  it  ?" 

"Tfie  Missing  Link!" 

"What?" 

"This  is  the  missing  bond  that  unites  man  with  the 
beasts!"  cried  Professor  Bonner,  excitedly  and  confi 
dently.  "There  is  no  doubt  of  it,  sir." 

"Oh,  say!  I  can't  take  stock  in  that  theory,  for  I  do 
not  believe  in  evolution." 

"You  may  not  believe  in  evolution  now,  but  you  will 
in  a  very  few  years,  if  you  live  so  long.  My  dear  cap 
tain,  I  am  on  one  of  the  most  momentous  expeditions  ever 
attempted  by  a  human  being." 

"You  are  going  to  penetrate  this  unknown  land  in 
search  of  this  creature,  which  you  call  the  Missing  Link  ?" 

"Exactly.  And  I  shall  not  return  till  I  have  captured 
or  killed  one  of  these  creatures.  I  do  not  wish  to  kill 
one,  as  it  would  seem  like  murder;  but,  if  I  cannot  cap 
ture  one,  the  advancement  of  scientific  discovery  and  the 
broadening  of  human  knowledge  will  nerve  my  hand  to 
slay  one.  Even  though  I  felt  myself  a  murderer,  even 
though  I  might  be  regarded  as  a  murderer,  I  should  con 
sider  it  my  duty  to  mankind  to  establish,  beyond  the 
shadow  of  doubt,  that  there  is  such  a  creature  as  the 
Missing  Link." 

Frank  was  feverishly  interested.  He  longed  to  ask 
some  questions,  but  held  himself  silent  in  the  presence  of 
the  captain  and  the  professor. 


The  Missing  Link.  233 

Captain  Bellwood  was  incredulous,  as  was  plainly  evi 
dent. 

"How  long  ago  was  this  picture  taken,  professor?"  he 
asked. 

"Not  more  than  two  years  ago.  I  do  not  know  the 
exact  date  when  it  was  taken,  but  it  was  about  two  years 
ago." 

"By  whom  was  it  taken  ?" 

"By  Professor  William  Riding,  of  the  University  of 
Healdsburgh,  a  gentleman,  a  scholar,  a  man  of  honor, 
and  a  man  of  veracity." 

"How  did  he  happen  to  be  where  he  could  obtain  such 
a  picture?" 

"He  heard  stories  of  this  being — sailors'  stories.  He 
even  found  a  sailor  who  professed  to  have  penetrated  to 
the  country  where  the  creatures  are,  and  to  have  seen  one 
of  them.  That  aroused  his  curiosity.  He  found  a  wealthy 
man  who  was  willing  to  back  him,  and  he  organized  an 
expedition  to  penetrate  to  this  land  and  bring  back  abso 
lute  proof  of  the  existence  of  the  Missing  Link.  He 
carried  out  his  project  to  a  certain  extent,  for  he  reached 
the  country  where  the  man  monkeys  are,  and  obtained 
this  photograph.  Then  a  terrible  misfortune  befell  him. 
He  was  wounded  by  a  poisoned  arrow,  and  he  never  re 
covered,  although  he  lived  many  months  thereafter.  His 
health  failing,  he  was  forced  to  give  over  his  project  and 
return  to  his  home.  From  his  own  lips  I  learned  enough 
to  satisfy  me  that  the  Missing  Link  is  no  myth.  When 
he  died,  I  promised  to  complete  the  work  he  left  unfir 
ished,  and  here  I  am.  That  is  a  full  and  complete  ex 
planation  of  how  I  happened  to  start  out  on  this  expedi 
tion." 

Frank  saw  the  man  was  sincere  and  in  earnest.  Pro 
fessor  Bonner  had  not  a  single  doubt  concerning  the  ex 
istence  of  the  Missing  Link. 


234  The  Missing  Link. 

"But  this  creature  of  which  you  have  a  picture  may  be 
no  more  than  a  wild  man — an  outcast  from  the  natives 
near  where  he  was  discovered,"  said  Captain  Bellwood. 

"Look  at  that !" 

"Bonner  pointed  triumphantly  to  the  stubby  tail  ex 
hibited  in  the  photograph. 

"That  proves  the  creature  is  not  an  ordinary  wild  man 
who  has  been  cast  out  from  some  of  the  savage  tribes," 
declared  the  professor.  "Now,  Captain  Bellwood,  I  have 
made  every  arrangement  for  this  expedition ;  but  desire 
companionship  and  aid  of  at  least  one  white  man,  and  I 
have  come  to  see  if  you  haven't  a  sailor  who  will  accom 
pany  me — a  man  you  can  spare." 

"I  am  sorry,"  said  the  master  of  the  Saucy  Susan;  "but 
I  do  not  feel  that  I  can  spare  a  single  man,  professor. 
The  crew " 

"If  there  is  none  of  the  crew  who  can  go,  there  is  a 
passenger  who  will  accompany  you,  Professor  Bonner,'* 
said  Frank  Merriwell,  quietly. 

The  professor  looked  sharply  at  the  boy,  peering  over 
his  spectacles. 

"Eh  ?"  he  grunted.     "A  passenger,  did  you  say  ?" 

"I  did,  sir." 

"What  passenger  ?" 

"I  will  go  myself,  if  you  will  take  me." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

PREPARING  FOR  THE  START. 

Professor  Bonner  pursed  up  his  lips,  looked  very  much 
surprised,  and  shook  his  head  in  a  decidedly  decisive  man 
ner. 

"You?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Why,  you  are  a  mere  stripling." 

Frank  flushed  a  bit,  but  remained  cool. 
,  "I  know  I  am  young  in  years,  but  I  have  traveled  some, 
and  I  have  had  many  experiences,  passing  through  not  a 
few  dangers.  I  do  not  wish  to  boast,  but  I  will  say  that 
you  might  take  many  men  who  would  not  prove  as  val 
uable  as  myself." 

"Besides  that,"  smiled  Captain  Bellwood,  "if  you  take 
Mr.  Merriwell,  you  will  be  constantly  in  royal  society. 
Mr.  Merriwell  was  lately  the  king  of  the  Wedolbas." 

"The  Wedolbas  ?"  repeated  Professor  Bonner,  question- 
ingly.  "Who  are  the  Wedolbas  ?" 

The  master  of  the  Saucy  Susan  explained  how  the  boy 
had  been  wrecked  on  an  island  inhabited  by  cannibals 
and  had  saved  himself  and  his  companions  from  being 
slain  and  devoured,  making  the  cannibals  believe  he  had 
supernatural  power,  and  thus  becoming  king  in  place  of 
the  former  monarch,  who  was  killed  by  a  stroke  of  light 
ning. 

Professor  Bonner  gazed  at  the  boy  with  increasing  in 
terest,  which  led  him  to  ask  still  further  questions.  In  a 
short  time  he  had  learned  enough  about  Frank  to  con 
vince  him  that  the  youth  was  no  ordinary  "stripling." 


236  Preparing  for  the  Start. 

"But  how  is  it  you  are  traveling  around  the  world  in 
such  a  manner?"  questioned  the  professor.  "I  should  not 
think  your  parents  wtmld  permit  it." 

"My  mother  is  dead,"  explained  Frank,  "and  my  father 
has  not  bothered  himself  about  me  for  a  number  of  years. 
My  uncle,  who  was  very  eccentric,  left  me  his  fortune, 
and  provided,  in  his  will,  that  I  should  travel  in  company 
with  my  guardian,  in  order  to  obtain  a  wider  knowledge 
of  the  world." 

"Hum!"  grunted  the  professor.  "But  where  is  your 
guardian  ?" 

"On  his  way  to  Europe  by  this  time,  I  expect,  if  my 
last  letter,  which  was  mailed  at  Buenos  Ayres,  reached 
him." 

"And  here  you  are  in  Africa.  When  and  where  do 
you  expect  to  meet  him  ?" 

"I  do  not  know.  I  shall  write  him,  at  the  first  oppor 
tunity,  and  the  letter  will  be  forwarded  by  my  London 
bankers." 

Bonner  pursed  up  his  lips  and  whistled,  canting  his 
head  to  one  side,  and  regarding  the  boy  in  a  manner  that 
made  Frank  think  of  the  herons  he  had  seen  in  Florida 
when  they  were  watching  something  in  the  water  near 
their  feet. 

"A  remarkable  boy !"  mumbled  the  professor — "a  most 
remarkable  boy!  He  has  the  air  and  bearing  of  a  man 
of  the  world.  I  should  much  enjoy  having  him  for  a 
companion." 

Frank's  heart  gave  a  thump  of  satisfaction. 

"Then  take  me  along  with  you,"  he  urged.  "I'll  guar 
antee  that  I  will  not  prove  an  incumbrance." 

"My  dear  boy,  you  know  nothing  of  the  dangers  we 
must  encounter,  the  perils  of  the  forest  and  jungle,  the 
wild  beasts,  the  savage  men,  the  venomous  reptiles,  the 


Preparing  for  the  Start.  237 

danger  of  fevers  and  strange  diseases.     No,  my  boy,  I 
do  not  think  I  dare  take  you.' 

Frank's  heart  sank  in  his  bosom. 

"I  think  you  are  making  a  mistake,  professor,"  he  said, 
with  an  air  of  disappointment.  "I  know  my  age  counts 
against  me  in  your  eyes ;  but  still  I  think  you  would  take 
me  along  if  you  knew  my  guardian  would  not  make 
trouble  about  it." 

"I  might,"  was  the  confession. 

"Well,  I  can  assure  you  that  Professor  Scotch " 

"Professor  who?"  cried  Bonner.    "Not  Horace  Scotch, 
of  Fardale?" 
.  "Exactly.     Professor  Horace  Scotch  is  my  guardian." 

"Why,  we  were  boys  together — schoolmates !"  cried  the 
scientist.  "I  have  not  seen  Hoddy  for  years;  but  I  have 
not  forgotten  him.  And  he  is  your  guardian.  Well, 
well,  well!" 

Frank  fancied  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  gain  the  object 
he  so  much  desired,  and  he  worked  for  it  with  a  will.  He 
explained  that  Professor  Scotch  was  more  of  a  companion 
than  a  guardian,  that  the  professor  seldom  or  never 
objected  to  anything  Frank  wished  to  do;  that  he  had 
been  traveling  alone  since  his  sudden  expedition  into 
South  America,  and  that  Scotch  would  be  delighted  to 
know  that  his  protege  was  in  such  excellent  company  as 
his  old  comrade  and  schoolmate,  Johnson  Bonner. 

The  boy  played  his  part  skillfully,  and  Professor  Bon 
ner  finally  succumbed,  after  appealing  to  Captain  Bell- 
wood,  who  was  forced  to  acknowledge  that  he  believed  the 
lad  would  be  a  most  valuable  and  trustworthy  companion. 

"All  right,"  said  the  scientist,  "I  start  to-morrow  morn 
ing  as  early  as  possible,  and  you  must  be  on  hand.  I  am 
stopping  at  the  upper  village,  which  you  have  not  yet 
visited,  and  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  come  up  this 


Preparing  for  the  Start. 

afternoon  and  talk  matters  over  with  me.  Will  you 
come  ?" 

Frank  agreed  to  come,  and  the  professor  finally  took 
his  leave,  his  last  words  being  an  expression  of  doubt 
as  to  the  wisdom  of  taking  a  boy  along. 

When  Frank  told  Ephraim  Gallup  that  he  was  going 
with  Professor  Bonner,  the  boy  from  Vermont  quietly 
observed : 

"Gol  derned  ef  I  ain't  goin',  too.  Yeou  can't  lose  me, 
Frank." 

Frank  spoke  of  the  dangers  and  hardships;  but  Eph 
raim  was  not  disturbed  in  the  least. 

"What  yeou  s'pose  I  keer  fer  them  things!''  he  cried. 
"I  may  kick  up  some,  an'  say  I  wish  I  was  to  hum;  but 
yeou'd  oughter  know  I  kin  fight  when  I  hev  to,  an'  I 
kin  stand  some  knockin'  araound.  I  tell  yeou  I  am  goin' 
along." 

"Perhaps  Professor  Bonner  will  not  have  you." 

"He'll  have  to  have  me,  by  gum!  I'll  jest  go  along, 
anyway." 

So  Ephraim  accompanied  Frank  when  the  latter  vis 
ited  the  professor  at  the  upper  village  that  afternoon. 

Professor  Bonner  objected  vigorously  to  taking  two 
boys ;  but  Frank  told  some  "large  yarns"  about  Ephraim's 
ability  and  bravery,  and  the  man  finally  gave  in. 

The  professor  had  a  large  stock  of  goods,  all  of  which 
were  made  into  bundles  for  carrying,  but  were  to  be  trans 
ported  in  boats  as  far  as  possible. 

He  explained  that  he  should  take  twenty  boatmen  and 
porters  from  the  Commi  people,  among  whom  he  was 
stopping.  The  Commi  could  be  depended  upon,  being 
brave  and  hardy,  and  comparatively  honest.  Some  of  the 
tribes  inland  were  noted  for  their  treachery  and  dis 
honesty. 

The  professor  had  taken  care  to  provide  himself  with 


Preparing  for  the  Start.  239 

the  most  modern  weapons,  revolvers  and  magazine  rifles. 
He  was  also  able  to  supply  Frank  and  Ephraim  with  such 
weapons. 

"It  is  very  likely  we  may  have  to  do  some  fighting," 
he  said.  "Some  of  the  inland  tribes  will  not  let  us  pass 
without  trouble,  that  is  pretty  sure." 

"Can  you  shoot,  professor?"  asked  Frank. 

"Well,  I  know  how  to  fire  a  rifle,  but  I  am  no  great 
marksman.  How  about  yourself?" 

Frank  picked  up  one  of  the  handsome  Winchester 
rifles. 

'  "See  the  bright-colored  bird  on  the  very  tip  of  yonder 
tree?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  I  see  the  bird.  It  is  scarcely  possible  you  fancy 
you  can  touch  it  at  such  a  distance." 

Frank  made  no .  reply,  but  brought  the  rifle  to  his 
shoulder,  took  swift  but  accurate  aim,  and  fired. 

There  was  an  exploding  puff  of  bright-colored  feathers, 
and  the  bird,  shattered  by  the  bullet,  fell  from  the  tree. 

"Good  gracious !"  gasped  Professor  Bonner,  in  a  dazed 
way.  "It  is  really  marvelous — if  it  was  not  an  accident." 

"Wai,  it  wa'n't  no  accident,"  said  Ephraim  Gallup. 
"An'  that  ain't  northin'  side  of  the  shootin'  I've  seen 
him  do." 

Some  of  the  natives  had  seen  the  shot,  and  they  uttered 
loud  cries  of  astonishment  and  admiration.  Frank  was 
regarded  as  a  great  wizard,  and  the  chief  of  the  village 
immediately  sent  to  him  to  see  his  "fetich,"  or  charm. 

In  Africa  every  native  has  a  fetich.  Some  are  to  pre 
vent  sickness,  some  to  protect  from  wizards,  some  to 
make  the  owners  great  hunters,  or  for  hundreds  of  other 
things. 

The  fetiches  are  made  from  all  sorts  of  things,  such 
as  birds'  claws,  monkeys'  teeth,  hair,  snake  skins,  human 
bones,  and  so  forth. 


240  Preparing  for  the  Start. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  finally  returned  to  the  Saucy 
Susan  and  made  ready  for  the  expedition. 

When  Frank  next  met  Elsie  he  found  the  girl  very 
sad  and  dejected. 

"Cheer  up,  little  sweetheart,"  smiled  the  light-hearted 
lad.  "You  are  looking  as  if  you  did  not  expect  ever  to  see 
me  again." 

"I  fear  I  never  shall,"  she  said,  gloomily.  "You  are 
going  into  a  land  of  fevers  and  unknown  diseases,  to  say 
nothing  of  other  perils.  Oh!  Frank,  why  do  you  go? 
I  was  so  happy,  thinking  you  would  remain  with  us  for 
some  time!" 

"You  know  I  am  determined  to  see  all  the  world  I 
can,  Elsie;  and  I  shall  not  find  another  opportunity  like 
this.  Besides  that,  just  think  what  it  means  if  it  should 
be  true  that  the  Missing  Link  has  been  discovered  in  the 
wilds  of  Africa — if  we  should  capture  one  of  the  creatures 
and  bring  it  out  alive.  It  would  make  us  all  famous  the 
world  over." 

"What  is  fame,  Frank!  Life,  health,  and  happiness 
are  far  preferable.  For  my  sake,  won't  you  give  up  this 
foolish  expedition,  Frank?" 

Frank  was  placed  in  an  unpleasant  and  embarrassing 
position.  It  took  him  some  time  to  convince  Elsie  that 
she  was  asking  too  much  of  him,  but  he  finally  succeeded, 
and  she  gave  up. 

But  they  were  together  a  long  time,  and  Captain  Bell- 
wood  did  not  interrupt  their  love-making. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A    CRY    IN    THE    NIGHT. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  were  on  hand  early  in  the  morning 
for  the  start,  which  Professor  Bonner  had  anticipated 
would  be  made  at  sunrise. 

But  the  professor  was  not  yet  familiar  with  the  ways 
of  the  black  people.  Before  the  start  could  be  made 
there  were  speechmaking,  farewells,  and  strange  cere 
monies.  And  when  these  things  had  been  gone  through 
and  everything  seemed  ready  for  the  start,  the  twenty 
natives  who  were  to  accompany  the  professor  had  to  rush 
back  and  go  all  through  it  again. 

All  this  took  much  time,  and  the  sun  was  well  up 
before  the  start  was  made.  At  last  the  boats  were  off. 
The  throng  of  blacks  on  the  shore  fired  a  salute  from  their 
guns  and  yelled  like  maniacs;  the  blacks  in  the  boats 
fired  a  salute  in  response  and  yelled  like  fiends. 

"Gol  dern  my  skin  ef  I  ever  saw  such  a  passel  of 
yee-haw  critters !"  exclaimed  Ephraim.  "They  kin  make 
more  noise  than  a  menagerie  uv  wildcats." 

"They  certainly  seem  to  have  good  lungs,"  laughed 
Frank. 

Up  the  Fernand  Vas  they  paddled,  and,  at  nightfall, 
they  camped  near  where  the  Rembo  emptied  into  the 
larger  river. 

Frank  never  forgot  that  first  night  camp.  Several  fires 
were  built,  and  brush  houses  were  hastily  constructed. 
After  supper  the  Commi  men  sat  about  the  fires  and 
smoked  and  jabbered,  the  firelight  flaring  on  their  black 
skins,  their  eyes  rolling,  their  white  teeth  showing,  and 


242  A  Cry  in  the  Night. 

their  arms  being  flung  about  in  strange  gestures.  They 
[were  telling  hunting  yarns,  and  it  seemed  that  each  one 
;was  striving  to  tell  a  more  improbable  lie  than  any  of 
the  others. 

Frank  and  Ephraim  lay  on  some  blankets  and  watched 
the  singular  scene,  while  Professor  Bonner  sat  near  one 
of  the  fires,  writing  in  his  journal,  making  a  record  of 
the  first  day's  journey. 

"Well,  Ephraim,"  said  Frank,  "here  we  are  well  started 
on  the  most  remarkable  search  ever  undertaken  by  human 
beings." 

"That's  so,  Frank,"  nodded  the  Vermonter.  "I  be  gol 
derned  ef  it  don't  seem  like  I  was  dreamin'  all  this." 

"It  is  no  dream ;  but  it  is  a  strange  reality." 

"Nobody 'd  ever  thought  that  I'd  be  here.  Folks  up 
in  aour  taown  never  suspected  me  nor  Hiram,  my 
brother,  'd  'mount  to  much;  but  Hi,  he  went  to  Chilly, 
where  he's  making  money  hand  over  fist,  an'  I'm  travelin' 
araound  the  world." 

"You  are  traveling  around  the  world,  even  though 
you  sometimes  wish  you  were  back  home  on  the  farm." 

"Wai,"  said  Ephraim,  a  bit  sheepishly,  "anybody'd 
kainder  wish  they  was  to  hum  ef  they  was  captured  by 
cannibuls  as  was  jest  goin'  to  eat  'em  up.  Ef  it  hedn't 
bin  for  yeou,  Frank,  the  cannibuls'd  made  a  meal  off  me 
sure  as  hens  lay  aigs." 

"There  are  cannibals  in  Africa." 

"Git  aout." 

"Lots  of  them.  The  Fans  are  said  to  eat  people  who 
die  of  natural  causes." 

"Oh,  the  gol  dern  critters!  It  can't  be  they  know 
anything  at  all." 

"On  the  contrary,  they  are  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
and  most  intelligent-appearing  races  in  Africa.  They  are 
splendidly  built,  both  men  and  women,  are  skilled  workers 


A  Cry  in  the  Night.  243 

in  iron,  make  the  finest  spears,  knives,  axes  and  other 
implements,  and  are  brave  and  warlike." 

"Gosh,  ef  that  don't  beat  me!  Anybody'd  think  that 
critters  what  eat  dead  folks  would  be  sickly  an'  scrawny 
an'  good  for  northin'." 

"It  is  probable  that  the  Fans  were  not  cannibals  orig 
inally,  but  were  driven  to  eat  human  flesh  from  necessity 
during  some  time  of  famine.  In  that  way  the  habit 
came  upon  them.  They  do  not  eat  their  own  people  who 
die  of  diseases,  but  exchange  them  for  others." 

"Haow  is  it  that  yeou  alwus  know  so  much  abaout 
every  place  where  yeou  go?"  asked  the  boy  from  Ver 
mont,  wonderingly. 

Frank  smiled. 

"That  is  easy.  I  make  it  a  practice  to  obtain  all  the 
information  possible  about  the  countries  I  mean  to  visit, 
so  that  when  I  get  back  home  I  shall  really  know  some 
thing  of  the  world." 

"That's  a  great  idee." 

"In  this  way,  I  feel  that  I  am  carrying  out  the  design 
of  my  Uncle  Asher,  who  provided  by  his  will  that  I 
should  travel  in  order  to  broaden  my  knowledge  of  the 
world  and  humanity." 

"Haow'd  yeou  find  aout  so  much  about  this  part  of 
Afriky?  Yeou  didn't  know  for  sure  that  yeou  was  goin' 
to  visit  this  coast  till  we  was  taken  off  Phantom  Island 
by  Cap'n  Bellwood." 

"Captain  Bellwood  is  a  man  who  believes  in  knowing 
something  of  the  people  with  whom  he  intends  to  do 
business,  and  he  has  a  number  of  authentic  books  on 
Africa  and  its  inhabitants." 

"An'  yeou  was  readin'  uv  'em  ev'ry  day,  I  remember 
that.  Wai,  Frank,  you're  baound  to  be  a  great  man 
some  time.  Yeou'll  know  a  heap." 

"It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  travel  in  order  to 


244  A  Cry  in  the  Night. 

become  well  informed  concerning  the  world  and  its  in 
habitants.  Any  boy  who  has  the  ambition  may  acquire  * 
vast  store  of  knowledge  by  reading  books  of  travel,  and 
well-written  books  of  travel  are  as  fascinating  as  novels." 
"By  gum !  I'm  goin'  to  read  more  uv  that  kind  uv  stuff 
arter  this.  I  don't  expect  to  travel  all  over  the  world, 
same  as  yeou  will;  but  what  I  have  traveled  makes  me 
want  to  know  moare  abaout  the  world  than  I  do.  At  the 
same  time,  I  don't  care  much  abaout  havin'  anything  to 
do  with  no  more  cannibuls." 

"Well,  you  are  not  likely  to,  for  we  pass  to  the  south 
of  the  Fan  country,  so  we  shall  not  see  the  cannibals.  But 
we  are  going  through  a  country  inhabited  by  people  far 
more  dangerous  than  cannibals." 

"Git  aout!" 

"That  is  right." 

"Who  be  they?" 

"The  Bakalai." 

"What's  the  matter  with  them?" 

"They  are  very  treacherous  and  untrustworthy." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"No.  At  the  very  moment  when  they  appear  the  most 
friendly  they  may  be  plotting  to  murder  one.  And  they 
use  poisoned  arrows." 

"Wai,  dern  their  skins!" 

"The  heads  of  their  arrows  are  so  attached  to  the  shaft 
that,  if  the  arrow  penetrates  beyond  the  barber  head,  an 
attempt  to  pull  it  out  will  leave  the  poisoned  head  in  the 
wound." 

"By  what  yeou  say  abaout  them,  I  should  judge  the 
Bakalai  are  real  nice  people !  They'd  oughter  go  to  war 
with  the  cannibuls,  an'  both  sides  fight  till  everybody 
was  killed  dead." 

The  boys  lay  and  talked  till  they  became  drowsy,  and 


A  Cry  in  the  Night.  245 

they  finally  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets  and 
slept. 

Some  time  in  the  night  they  were  aroused  by  the  fright 
ful  screech  of  a  leopard;  but  the  natives  hastily  stirred 
up  the  fires  and  the  creature  did  not  approach  the  camp. 

The  next  morning  they  pushed  on  up  the  Rembo,  which 
was  rather  narrow  and  swift  where  it  emptied  into  the 
Fernand  Vas,  but  became  broader  and  easier  to  navigate 
as  they  progressed. 

On  both  sides  of  the  river  the  foliage  was  like  a  dense 
green  wall,  dotted  here  and  there  with  bright  flowers. 
Bright-plumed  birds  cut  the  air  overhead,  monkeys  chat 
tered  in  the  trees,  crocodiles  slipped  into  the  water  from 
muddy  banks  on  which  they  had  been  sunning  themselves, 
and  once  more  elephants  that  had  been  near  the  river  took 
to  their  heels  and  disappeared  amid  the  trees,  which 
crashed  and  swayed  as  they  went. 

Frank  caught  up  his  rifle  and  fired  after  the  elephants, 
but  the  creatures  were  out  of  sight  before  he  could  get 
a  shot,  so  he  had  to  fire  by  chance,  and  it  seemed  that 
he  did  not  wound  one  of  the  creatures. 

Both  boys  were  kept  constantly  interested  and  on  the 
alert  by  what  they  saw  about  them.  Everything  seemed 
novel  and  strange,  and  the  day  passed  swiftly. 

Near  night  the  boats  approached  Goumbi,  a  large  vil 
lage.  One  of  the  smaller  boats  was  sent  forward,  so  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  might  be  notified  that  three  men 
were  coming  to  visit  them. 

When  Goumbi  was  approached  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  village  were  on  the  shore  to  welcome  the  white  men. 
They  danced,  shouted,  sang  and  fired  guns. 

"Gol  dern  the  critters!"  muttered  Ephraim,  clutching 
his  rifle.  "They  act  like  they  was  itchin'  to  chaw  us  up." 

"That  is  their  way  of  greeting  us,"  explained  Professor 
Bonner.  "They  expect  me  to  stay  with  them  some  time 


246  A  Cry  in  the  Night. 

and  trade,  and  they  will  be  greatly  disappointed  when 
they  learn  that  I  mean  to  go  on  in  the  morning." 

As  the  boats  approached  the  shore,  Frank  stood  up, 
pointed  his  Winchester  into  the  air,  and  fired  six  shots  in 
bewilderingly  rapid  succession. 

The  natives  were  astounded  and  frightened.  All  their 
guns  were  old-fashioned  muzzle  loaders,  and  they  had 
never  seen  a  repeating  rifle.  It  seemed  marvelous  to  them 
that  a  gun  could  shoot  so  many  times  without  reloading, 
and  some  of  them  ran  away  and  concealed  themselves, 
fearing  the  "white  wizards"  too  much  to  face  them. 

The  king,  although  greatly  agitated,  greeted  the  profes 
sor  and  the  boys,  saying  he  was  glad  they  had  come,  and 
making  them  presents  of  goats  and  plantains. 

Professor  Bonner  made  a  brief  speech,  in  which  he 
assured  the  king  that  he  had  come  to  do  him  good,  and 
ended  by  making  the  old  fellow  a  present  of  a  bright-red 
jacket,  which  the  king  immediately  donned,  grinning  with 
delight  and  dancing  about  like  a  jubilant  schoolboy. 

A  house  was  given  the  professor  and  the  boys  for  their 
occupancy  while  they  remained  in  the  village.  The  pro 
fessor  took  care  that  his  goods  were  stowed  away  for 
the  night  and  carefully  guarded. 

Later  on  there  was  a  great  powwow,  in  which  the  vil 
lagers  and  the  three  white  visitors  took  part. 

The  professor  presented  each  of  the  king's  ten  wives 
with  a  string  of  bright-colored  beads,  and  explained  that 
he  had  not  come  to  trade,  but  was  going  inland  to  hunt. 

This  was  something  the  natives  could  not  understand, 
and  they  appeared  to  doubt  the  white  man's  word. 

At  last  the  professor  was  forced  to  show  his  photo 
graph  of  the  "Missing  Link"  to  the  chief,  and  explain 
that  he  was  going  in  search  of  that  creature,  hoping  to 
capture  one  alive,  and  take  it  to  the  white  man's  country, 
where  he  could  make  much  money  by  exhibiting  it. 


A  Cry  in  the  Night.  247 

The  king  was  finally  forced  to  be  satisfied  with  Bon- 
ner's  statements,  but  he  professed  great  grief  over  the 
short  stay  the  whites  were  to  make  with  him. 

The  inhabitants  of  Goumbi  told  frightful  tales  of  the 
great  perils  to  be  encountered  farther  on,  plainly  striving 
to  frighten  the  party  from  proceeding,  but  Bonner  laughed 
at  all  these  yarns,  and  insisted  that  he  should  go  forward 
in  the  morning. 

That  night  Frank  slept  soundly,  but,  despite  the  heavi 
ness  of  his  slumber,  he  was  aroused  by  a  cry  that  seemed 
to  come  from  the  river.  He  started  up  and  listened. 

All  seemed  silent,  save  for  the  snoring  of  Ephraim  and 
the  professor,  who  slept  on  without  a  break. 

Somehow  that  cry  had  stirred  the  blood  in  Frank's 
body.  He  arose  and  went  out  where  he  could  listen  with 
out  hearing  the  snoring  so  plainly. 

As  he  reached  the  open  air,  another  cry,  broken  and 
smothered,  coming  from  a  far  distance,  was  indistinctly 
heard. 

It  seemed  like  the  call  of  a  woman  in  distress,  and  it 
affected  the  boy  strangely,  even  though  he  had  heard 
of  wild  beasts  that  uttered  such  weird  sounds. 

He  crept  back  into  the  hut,  a  heavy  chill  upon  him. 
Although  he  lay  down  and  closed  his  eyes,  his  sleep  was 
no  longer  peaceful  and  refreshing.  All  through  the  rest 
of  the  night  he  dreamed  of  Elsie — dreamed  she  was  in 
some  frightful  peril. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

RESULT    OF    THE    HUNT. 

When  morning  came  the  king  still  objected  to  the  de 
parture  of  the  expedition,  but  finally  agreed  to  let  the 
party  go  on  if  Professor  Bonner  would  pay  a  certain 
price  in  cloth  and  beads. 

The  professor  was  angry.  He  ordered  his  men  to  make 
ready  to  start  without  delay,  and,  when  the  king  ordered 
out  his  fighting  men  and  attempted  to  prevent  this,  the 
professor  threatened  him  with  disaster  and  ruin. 

But  Frank  Merriwell  took  a  far  more  effective  way 
to  induce  the  old  monarch  to  let  them  depart.  He 
promptly  leveled  his  rifle  at  the  king's  head,  threatening 
to  shoot  if  the  warriors  were  not  ordered  off  at  once. 

Trie  king  had  seen  Frank  fire  six  shots  from  the  rifle 
without  pausing  to  reload,  and  he  stood  in  great  awe  of 
the  weapon.  He  showed  fear  immediately,  and  did  as 
the  boy  directed. 

"You  are  wise,"  said  the  cool  lad.  "If  I  should  start 
this  gun  to  shooting  it  might  not  stop  till  yourself  and  all 
your  people  were  dead." 

Frank  kept  the  king  under  surveillance  till  the  expedi 
tion  was  ready  to  move.  As  the  boats  were  paddled  up 
the  river,  the  king  cried  out  to  the  Commi  men  of  the 
professor's  party  that  the  white  boy's  gun  held  a  bad 
spirit  that  would  kill  them  all. 

But  the  coast  savages  had  seen  a  repeating  rifle  be 
fore,  and  they  simply  laughed. 

This  day  was  much  like  the  previous  day,  except  that 


Result  of  the  Hunt.  249 

the  party  halted  by  mid-afternoon  and  prepared  an  en 
campment  for  the  night. 

By  this  time  the  natives  declared  they  were  in  a  region 
where  the  gorilla  might  be  found,  and  Frank  was  very 
anxious  to  kill  one  of  the  creatures. 

Ever  full  of  restless  energy,  Frank  proposed  a  hunt, 
and  Ephraim  seconded  the  proposal. 

The  professor  tried  to  dissuade  them ;  but  he  had  come 
to  regard  Frank  with  respect,  and  he  did  not  say  much. 

Frank's  coolness  and  prompt  action  in  dealing  with 
the  old  king  who  had  tried  to  make  them  pay  heavy 
tribute  for  the  privilege  of  going  onward  from  his  vil 
lage  had  convinced  Bonner  that  the  boy  knew  his  business 
and  could  be  relied  upon. 

The  professor  had  praised  Frank  for  this  act,  and 
had  been  not  a  little  surprised  when  he  found  the  lad 
regarded  it  as  of  small  consequence. 

M  porno,  a  Commi  hunter,  agreed  to  accompany  the 
boys,  and  they  selected  two  other  natives. 

The  forest  back  from  the  river  was  thick  and  dark, 
with  very  large  trees,  the  branches  of  which  were  inter 
twined. 

Mpomo  declared  it  was  a  fine  place  for  gorillas,  who 
shun  light,  open  places  at  day,  and  hover  in  dark,  se 
cluded  nooks. 

The  boys  had  heard  many  stories  of  the  gorilla's 
strength  and  ferocity  since  leaving  the  Saucy  Susan. 
With  the  exception  of  the  hunters,  the  natives  stood 
greatly  in  awe  of  the  beast. 

It  was  plain,  also,  that  some  of  the  hunters  were  not 
nearly  so  eager  to  face  a  gorilla  as  they  professed  to  be. 

Mpomo,  however,  seemed  a  rather  brave  and  nervy 
fellow,  and  Frank  was  favorably  impressed  by  his  ap 
pearance. 

The  young  Commi  hunter  led  the  way,  Frank  and  Eph- 


250  Result  of  the  Hunt. 

raim  following,  with  the  other  Cotnmi  men  bringing  up 
the  rear. 

In  this  manner  they  pushed  forward  for  at  least  a  mile 
without  seeing  anything  worth  shooting. 

Frank  was  surprised  and  disappointed,  for  he  had  ex 
pected  to  find  the  forest  abounding  with  game,  there 
being  so  much  life  along  the  river. 

At  length  they  came  to  a  little  strip  of  prairie  right  in 
the  heart  of  the  great  forest.  The  grass  was  green  and 
the  natural  clearing  looked  very  pretty  in  the  midst  of  the 
dark  woods. 

They  were  crossing  this  open  space  when  all  were 
startled  by  a  blood-curdling  scream  and  a  bellowing  roar. 

A  moment  later  a  wild  bull,  with  a  leopard  clinging  to 
it,  came  tearing  across  the  clearing. 

The  leopard  had  fastened  its  teeth  in  the  bull's  neck, 
and  was  clinging  with  its  cruel  claws  to  the  back  of  the 
agonized  animal. 

The  bull  bounded  and  reared,  tossed  and  plunged,  but 
all  in  vain,  for  the  leopard  clung  with  the  tenacity  of 
death  itself. 

The  bull  would  dart  forward  a  short  distance,  stop 
abruptly,  wheel  and  whirl,  but  all  to  no  avail. 

There  was  a  wild  light  of  despair  in  the  buffalo's  eyes 
and  a  wild  light  of  savage  triumph  in  the  eyes  of  the 
leopard. 

It  was  a  thrilling  spectacle,  and  the  boys  watched  it 
with  breathless  interest,  forgetting  their  rifles  were  in 
their  hands. 

The  bull  was  so  blinded  by  pain  and  terror  that  it  saw 
nothing  of  the  hunters. 

Of  a  sudden  it  dashed  straight  at  Ephraim,  and  the 
leopard  seemed  to  become  aware  that  human  beings  were 
present. 

In  wild  excitement,  Ephraim  flung  up  his  rifle  and  fired. 


Result  of  the  Hunt.  251 

It  was  a  chance  shot,  but  a  deadly  one,  for  the  bull 
dropped  in  a  second,  the  bullet  having  reached  its  brauu 

At  the  very  moment  that  the  bull  fell,  the  leopard 
seemed  to  launch  itself  into  the  air,  leaping  straight  at 
the  boy  from  Vermont. 

Ephraim  could  not  have  escaped  by  any  effort  of  his; 
own.  He  stood  with  his  smoking  rifle  half  lowered, 
utterly  incapable  of  making  a  move  to  defend  himself. 

In  watching  the  struggle  between  the  bull  and  the 
leopard,  Frank  had  stepped  several  feet  to  one  side. 
His  rifle  was  at  his  shoulder  when  Ephraim  fired. 

Frank  saw  the  buffalo  fall,  saw  the  leopard  spring,  and 
comprehended  the  deadly  danger  of  his  friend. 

Never  was  Frank  Merriwell's  hand  steadier  than  at  that 
moment,  never  was  his  aim  truer  and  more  deadly. 

Spang ! — the  rifle  spat  forth  its  deadly  pellet. 

The  leaping  leopard  seemed  to  double  into  a  ball  in 
the  air,  and  it  dropped  in  a  heap  at  Ephraim's  feet,  feebly 
clawing  at  the  ground,  a  bullet  through  its  body. 

Ephraim  jumped  back,  gasping: 

"Wai,  by  gum !" 

A  great  shout  went  up  from  the  throats  of  the  natives. 
They  were  filled  with  astonishment  and  admiration. 
Mpomo  screamed : 

"White  boy  big  quick  kill !  Sure  he  have  wizard  spirit 
in  him  gun  !  Him  very  big  hunter !  Hoolray !  hoolray !" 

Both  lads  were  regarded  with  unutterable  admiration 
by  the  amazed  savages,  who  danced  with  glee  about  the 
slain  animals. 

"Gosh !"  gurgled  Ephraim.  "But  that  was  a  thunderin* 
close  call!  My  gun  kainder  went  off  by  accident,  but 
it  killed  the  kaow.  I  don't  reckon  yeour  gun  went  ofl£ 
by  accident,  Frank.  That  was  great  shootin'." 

"Well,  I  didn't  have  any  time  to  spare,"  laughed  Frank. 

"Not  a  jiffy.    Ef  yeou'd  stopped  to  think  it  over,  that 


252  Result  of  the  Hunt. 

air  leopard  would  hev  bed  a  square  meal  off  me,  sure's 
shootin'." 

The  natives  fell  to  skinning  the  leopard. 

"I  shall  keep  this  skin  among  my  trophies,"  smiled 
Frank.  "Whenever  I  see  it  I  shall  think  of  you,  Eph- 
raim." 

The  black  fellows  were  very  skillful  in  their  work,  and 
it  took  them  but  a  few  minutes  to  strip  the  hide  from  the 
leopard.  Then  they  set  about  skinning  and  cutting  up 
the  buffalo. 

One  of  them  started  out  at  a  run  to  the  camp  to  notify 
the  Commi  men  to  come  and  bring  in  the  meat. 

"I  rather  fancy  this  ends  our  hunting  for  this  after 
noon,"  said  Frank.  "We  did  not  find  a  gorilla,  but  we 
found  some  game." 

"That's  right,  an'  it's  purty  big  game,  too." 

"I  am  satisfied  with  the  result  of  the  hunt." 

"An*  I'm  satisfied  so  long's  I  escaped  from  bein' 
chawed  up.  I  don't  keer  ef  we  don't  see  no  gorilla, 
fer " 

Ephraim  was  interrupted  by  a  sound  like  distant  thun- 
'der.  It  rumbled  and  rolled  through  the  forest,  almost 
seeming  to  make  the  ground  quiver. 

Then  followed  the  distant  report  of  a  gun. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

FOOTPRINTS    IN    THE    FOREST. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  in  astonishment  and 
alarm. 

"Great  goshfry!"  gurgled  Ephraim  Gallup,  his  hair 
seeming  to  lift  his  hat,  "what  in  thutteration  was  that?" 

"It  sounded  like  thunder,"  said  Frank;  "but  I  do  not 
think  it  was." 

"No  t'under !"  cried  Mpomo,  excitedly. 

"Dat  gorilla!" 

"What  ?  That  a  gorilla  ?  Is  it  possible  they  can  make 
such  terrible  sounds." 

"Poggerble?"  said  the  Commi  hunter,  in  a  puzzled  way, 
"Dey  make  um.  Dunno  what  poggerble  mean." 

Mpomo  sometimes  mixed  his  English  in  a  ludicrous 
manner,  and  he  was  much  inclined  to  catch  at  every 
long  word  he  heard  the  white  men  use. 

"Ef  that  was  a  gorilla,  it  must  be  the  old  king  pin  uv 
all  gorillas,"  declared  the  boy  from  Vermont.  i 

"Him  big  man  gorilla,"  explained  Mpomo.  "Him 
berry  much  mad  when  him  make  dat  poggerble  sound.** 

"Mad?" 

"Yes." 

"How  do  you  know  ?" 

"By  de  sound  him  make." 

"Somebody  fired  a  gun,"  fluttered  the  Yankee  lad. 
"I  kinder  guess  some  feller  took  a  shot  at  him." 

"Perhaps  the  shot  killed  him,  for  he  has  not  roared 
since  that " 


254  Footprints  in  the  Forest. 

Once  more  the  terrible  booming  roar  sounded  through 
the  gloomy  forest. 

"Gun  no  kill  dat  gorilla,"  cried  Mpomo,  with  still 
greater  excitement.  "Gorilla  bad  man  to  fool  wid.  Feller 
wid  gun  him  in  scrape." 

"Then  it  is  time  we  took  a  hand!"  exclaimed  Frank. 
"Lead  the  way,  Mpomo.  We'll  look  after  Mr.  Gorilla." 

"Be  yeou  goin'  there?"  gasped  Ephraim,  in  agitation. 
"I  don't  seem  to  care  so  much  fer  gorillas  as  I  did  a 
while  ago." 

"Come  on,  Ephraim,  "came  sternly  from  Merriwell. 
"If  you  have  any  nerve,  now  is  the  time  to  show  it.  A 
human  being  may  be  in  deadly  peril." 

"All  right,"  groaned  the  boy  from  Vermont.  "Go 
ahead  an'  I'll  f oiler.  I'd  kainder  like  to  be  hoein'  'taturs 
naow  on  the  old  farm !" 

"Mos  be  much  claucious,"  warned  Mpomo.  "Gorilla 
mad,  him  berry  bad.  We  find  him  mebby;  mebby  he  be 
two  hundred  mile  away  when  we  git  dere." 

"By  gum !"  cried  Ephraim.  "I  hope  he  has  felt  like 
walkin'  a  few  hundred  miles  fer  exercise." 

Mpomo  took  the  lead,  quickly  plunging  into  the  forest 
which  surrounded  the  glade.  Frank  and  Ephraim  fol 
lowed  him  closely,  leaving  the  other  hunter  to  look  after 
the  buffalo  and  leopard  until  they  returned  or  the  people 
from  the  camp  came. 

Mpomo  moved  forward  with  great  swiftness  and  si 
lence,  taxing  the  energies  of  the  boys  to  follow  him.  It 
was  not  long  before  Ephraim  began  to  breathe  heavily; 
but  Frank,  being  a  perfect  athlete,  kept  his  "wind" 
splendidly. 

For  at  least  a  mile  the  black  guide  led  them  forward 
through  the  dismal  forest,  and  the  boys  were  beginning 
to  feel  certain  he  had  come  too  far  when  he  suddenly 
halted,  whispering: 


Footprints  in  the  Forest.  255 

"Now  go  claucious.  Him  berry  near  here  when  him 
holler." 

"How  do  you  know?"  asked  Frank. 

"Know  by  sound." 

"It  does  not  seem  possible  he  could  have  been  so  fas 
away  and  we  could  hear  his  roar  so  plainly." 

"By  gosh!"  gasped  Ephraim.  "I'd  hate  to  have  him 
holler  in  my  ear!  It'd  bu'st  a  feller's  head  wide  open." 

"Must  be  still,"  warned  the  native  hunter.  "Him  may 
be  near.  Mebbe  him  run  away  if  him  hear  little  stick 
break.  Look  out  berry  close  where  feet  step." 

Then  they  crept  onward  through  the  woods. 

All  at  once,  with  a  low,  clucking  noise,  Mpomo  stopped. 

The  boys  half  lifted  their  rifles,  ready  for  action;  but 
the  hunter  bent  over  the  ground,  a  murmur  of  satisfaction 
coming  from  his  lips. 

"Look  dat,"  he  said,  triumphantly.  "What  white  boys 
t'ink  'bout  Mpomo  know  how  fur  off  dat  gorilla  be  ?" 

They  stepped  forward  and  looked  at  the  soft,  moist 
ground  where  he  was  pointing,  and  there  they  saw  a  huge 
footprint  that  sec  the  blood  to  leaping  in  their  veins,  for 
it  was  the  track  of  a  gorilla  beyond  a  doubt. 

There  was  the  broad  foot  plainly  impressed,  with  the 
thumb-like  big  toes  standing  out  from  the  others.  It 
was  an  imprint  to  fill  the  beholder  with  awe,  for  it 
showed  that  the  beast  must  be  a  monster  of  his  kind. 

Ephraim  Gallup's  teeth  chattered. 

"Gug-gug-gug-great  gosh  !"  he  stammered.  "He  must 
be  the  old  he-daddy  uv  all  gug-gug-gug-gorillas !" 

"Him  pretty  big,"  nodded  Mpomo.  "Bad  feller  to 
fool  with." 

"I  ain't  feelin'  very  well,"  declared  the  lad  from  Ver 
mont.  "I  guess  we'd  better  go  right  back  to  the  river." 

Frank  paid  no  attention  to  this,  but  said  to  Mpomo : 

"Follow  the  trail;  we  will  follow  you." 


256  Footprints  in  the  Forest. 

"Be  still,"  warned  the  hunter.    "Reddy  to  fire.    Come." 

Crouching,  his  eyes  rolling,  his  figure  reminding  Frank 
of  a  creeping  panther,  the  black  hunter  moved  onward. 

The  white  boys  followed,  although  Ephraim's  teeth 
still  chattered. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  before  they  came  to  a 
place  where  the  underbrush  was  thick,  and  where,  in 
order  to  clear  a  road  for  his  progress,  the  gorilla  had  torn 
up  the  bushes,  snapped  great  limbs  as  thick  as  a  man's 
arm,  and  even  pulled  up  young  trees  by  the  roots. 

"Gosh!  but  he  must  have  some  muscle!"  whispered 
Ephraim,  admiration  mingling  with  his  fear.  "He'd  be  a 
holy  terror  to  rassle  with." 

They  followed  the  gorilla's  trail  through  the  under 
brush,  and  then,  in  a  little  clearing,  they  suddenly  came 
upon  a  startling  and  horrible  spectacle. 

A  dead  man  lay  on  the  ground,  his  body  ripped  open 
from  his  breastbone  downward.  Beside  him  was  a  gun, 
the  barrel  of  which  was  bent  and  twisted,  showing  what 
enormous  strength  the  enraged  gorilla  possessed. 

It  was  plain  that  the  man  had  come  suddenly  and  un 
expectedly  upon  the  gorilla,  had  fired  hastily,  had  failed 
to  mortally  wound  the  beast,  and  the  creature  had  closed 
in  instantly,  killing  the  man  with  one  blow,  after  which 
he  seized  and  twisted  the  gun. 

A  shout  of  the  utmost  wonder  and  dismay  escaped 
Frank  Merriwell's  lips  as  he  saw  the  dead  man  on  the 
ground. 

"Look!"  he  cried,  pointing  a  shaking  finger  at  the 
body.  "It  is  a  white  man!" 

"Great  gosh  !"  fluttered  Ephraim,  his  eyes  popping  from 
his  head.  "It  is  a  white  man,  sure  as  punkins  make 
good  pies!" 

"Him  got  kickcited,"  said  Mpomo.  "Nebber  touch 
gorilla  when  him  shoot.  Got  to  kill  gorilla  first  pop." 


Footprints  in  the  Forest.  257 

"But  a  white  man — here — alone!"  came  from  Frank. 
"I  can't  understand  that.  There's  something  strange 
about  it." 

"Yeou  bet!"  nodded  the  other  boy.  "He  must  have 
bin  lost." 

Frank  advanced  a  few  steps,  scanning  the  face  of  the' 
dead  man,  which  was  convulsed  with  agony  and  terror. 

"A  sailor,  I  should  say,"  muttered  Frank.  "And  there 
seems  something  familiar  about  him,  as  if  I  had  seen  him 
before." 

The  next  moment  he  fell  back,  hoarsely  crying : 

"Merciful  goodness!  I  have  seen  bim  before!  I 
know  the  man!" 

"What's  that?  what's  that?"  spluttered  Ephraim. 
"Know  him !" 

"Yes!  Look — look  at  that  face!  You  have  seen  him 
before — you  know  him.  There  can  be  no  mistake." 

"By  gum!    I  believe  I  do!" 

"Of  course  you  do.  The  man's  name  is  Ostergoth,  and 
he  is  a  Swede.  He  was  a  sailor  on  the " 

"On  the  Saucy  Susan!" 

"Sure  as  fate!" 

The  boys  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  in  growing 
amazement,  utterly  unable  to  understand  this  wonder. 

"Haow  in  thunder  kin  that  be?"  asked  Ephraim.  "We 
left  Ostergoth  on  the  Saucy  Susan  when  we  came  away 
frum  her." 

"That's  what  we  did,"  nodded  Frank;  "but  the  man 
is  here  at  our  feet,  dead  as  a  door  nail." 

"There  must  be  some  kind  uv  a  mistake.  This  feller 
must  look  like  the  Swede,  but  it  can't  be  him." 

"There  is  no  mistake,"  declared  Frank,  bending  over 
the  man  and  lifting  his  arm,  from  which  he  thrust  the 
sleeve  back.  "Ostergoth  had  a  vessel  tattooed  on  his  left 
arm  right  here,  and  here  it  is !  This  is  the  man !" 


258  Footprints  in  the  Forest. 

"But  haow  did  he  come  here,  when  we  left  him  on  the 
schooner  ?" 

"Ask  me  something  easy." 

"He  must  have  deserted." 

"That's  plain;  but  I  do  not  understand  how  he  got 
so  far  inland  in  such  a  short  time.  It  is  a  marvel." 

The  wonder  of  the  boys  increased  as  they  thought  the 
matter  over.  The  Swede  had  been  left  behind  them  on 
the  schooner,  and  now  here  he  was,  far  from  the  coast, 
dead  in  the  gloomy  wilds  of  the  African  forest. 

"If  he  deserted  the  vessel,  he  did  not  desert  alone," 
'declared  Frank.  "No  man  would  leave  a  vessel  on  this 
coast  and  hurry  inland  amid  the  savages." 

"Perhaps  he  was  s«nt  arter  us,"  suggested  Ephraim. 

Frank  shook  his  head. 

"That  is  not  at  all  likely.  If  he  had  been  sent  after 
us,  he  would  have  found  us.  Instead  of  that,  he  must 
have  made  special  effort  to  avoid  us  and  get  ahead  of 
us." 

"Mebbe  he  was  makin'  a  rush  to  find  the  Missin'  Link 
afore  we  did." 

Frank  thought  of  the  strange  cry  he  had  heard  in  the 
night — the  cry  that  had  brought  him  from  the  hut  in 
the  village  of  Goumbi  to  listen  in  the  street. 

Of  a  sudden,  Mpomo  gave  a  cry,  pointing  excitedly  to 
the  ground. 

"Look  dat!"  he  exclaimed. 

They  looked,  and  what  they  beheld  was  more  aston 
ishing  than  anything  they  had  yet  seen. 

It  was  another  footprint.  It  was  small  and  shapely, 
being  the  footprint  of  a  female. 

And  that  female  wore  a  shoe! 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
ELSIE    BELLWOOD'S    PERIL. 

"Gosh  all  thutteration !" 

Ephraim  could  not  express  his  amazement.  His  eyes 
bulged,  and  his  jaw  dropped,  while  he  actually  staggered. 

Frank  was  no  less  astonished.  At  first  he  refused  to 
believe  the  evidence  of  his  eyes ;  but  he  looked  again  and 
he  saw  yet  another  footprint  in  the  soft  ground. 

Mpomo  was  on  his  knees  eagerly  searching  the  ground. 
Those  footprints  were  like  print  to  him;  he  read  them 
as  his  companions  would  have  read  an  open  book. 

"A  female!"  cried  Frank  Merriwell.  "And  it  was 
not  one  of  the  native  women !  They  do  not  wear  shoes." 

"Not  by  a  gol  dern  sight!"  spluttered  the  boy  from 
Vermont. 

"White  gal  make  tracks,"  declared  Mpomo,  excitedly. 
"White  gal  be  here  with  white  man.  She  run  away  fast." 

"Ran  away?" 

"When  white  man  shoot  at  gorilla.    Den  she  run." 

"How  can  you  tell?" 

"Look  at  wide  step — look  at  where  toes  stick  in  deep. 
No  heel  mark  at  all.  Dat  show  gal  be  scat  an'  run 
away." 

"That's  right,"  came  hoarsely  from  Frank's  lips.  "She 
ran  deeper  into  the  forest  when  the  man  shot  at  the 
gorilla." 

"But  who  kin  she  be?" 

Frank  looked  at  Ephraim,  but  made  no  immediate 
reply.  His  eyes,  however,  told  a  great  dread — an  appall 
ing  fear — that  was  filling  his  heart. 


260  Elsie  Bellwood's  Peril. 

"Look!"  cried  Mpomo,  still  pointing  to  the  ground. 
"Gal  run  away,  but  gorilla  him  foller,  after  him  kill  white 
mans.  See  him  track  go  off  dat  way." 

Frank  saw  the  tracks  plainly  enough,  and  the  fear  in 
his  heart  deepened  to  horror.  It  was  plain  that  the 
monster  of  the  forest  had  pursued  the  fleeing  female. 

"But  what'd  he  foller  her  for?"  asked  Ephraim,  in  a 
dazed  way. 

"Gorilla  sometime  carry  off  womens,"  declared  Mpomo. 
"They  steal  black  womans.  White  womans  mebby  car 
ried  Off." 

"Come  on!"  cried  Frank,  hoarsely;  "we  must  follow 
these  tracks!  Lead  the  way,  Mpomo!  We  must  know 
what  fate  befell  her." 

Mpomo  hesitated,  and  then  said: 

"Boys  be  reddy  all  time  to  shoot.  No  tell  when  gorilla 
come  at  us.  White  boys  great  to  shoot.  Make  sure  to 
kill  gorilla  quick." 

"We'll  kill  him  quick  enough,  if  we  see  him,"  assured 
Frank.  "Lead  on,  Mpomo,  and  do  not  waste  time  in 
useless  talk." 

They  started.  Ephraim  slipped  to  Frank's  side,  whis 
pering  the  question : 

"Do  yeou  think  it  kin  be  her?" 

"Who  else?"  Frank  flung  over  his  shoulder.  "Oster- 
goth  was  a  sailor  on  the  Saucy  Susan,  and  she " 

"By  gum,  it  must  be !"  grated  Ephraim.  "We'll  never 
stop  till  we  find  her,  Frank!  We'll  kill  that  gorilla 
deader'n  hay!" 

Frank  Merriwell's  lips  were  moving ;  he  was  muttering 
a  prayer  for  the  safety  of  the  girl  he  had  last  seen  far 
away  on  the  Saucy  Susan. 

Mpomo  was  fleet  of  foot,  and  his  eyes  were  keen.  Still 
he  seemed  to  dread  coming  suddenly  on  the  gorilla,  for 


Elsie  Bell  wood's  Peril.  261 

he  would  pause  at  times  and  listen,  his  whole  aspect  be 
tokening  fear. 

Frank  was  impatient  at  every  delay;  he  was  burning 
with  a  desire  to  overtake  the  monster  of  the  forest.  He 
saw  that  Mpomo  had  been  affected  by  the  sight  of  the 
dead  man — had  lost  his  nerve. 

Frank  ground  his  strong  white  teeth  together,  and 
now  and  then  urged  the  hunter  to  hurry  along.  He 
could  barely  keep  his  hands  off  the  fellow  when  Mpomo 
halted  for  the  twentieth  time. 

"Why  do  you  stop  again  ?"  he  grated,  hotly.  "Keep  on 
— keep  on !" 

"Gorilla  him  be  near,"  declared  the  hunter,  his  eyes 
rolling  with  fear.  "Mpomo  know  something  'bout  dat 
gorilla." 

"Well,  what  do  you  know?" 

"Him  berry  bad  spirit." 

"What's  that?    What  do  you  mean?" 

"Him  no  like  odder  gorilla.  Can't  kill  him.  White 
man  nebber  touch  him  wid  bullet,  and  gorilla  be  close  to 
white  man.  Dat  gorilla  berry  bad  spirit.  Can't  kill 
him." 

"That  is  nonsense.  Don't  be  foolish,  Mpomo.  We 
must  find  that  gorilla,  and  save  the  white  woman  who  is 
in  peril.  Lead  on." 

Mpomo  protested,  growing  still  more  frightened. 
Frank  became  angry  after  a  time,  and  he  suddenly  drew 
a  revolver  and  thrust  it  against  the  hunter's  head,  sternly 
saying : 

"You  must  follow  that  gorilla,  or  we'll  leave  you  here 
on  the  ground,  a  dead  Commi  man.  Start !" 

"An'  be  lively  abaout  startin',"  growled  Ephraim. 

Through  fear  of  the  revolver  Mpomo  went  forward, 
but  it  was  plain  that  he  could  not  be  depended  on  in 
case  they  came  suddenly  upon  the  gorilla. 


262  Elsie  Bell  wood's  Peril. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  before  a  moaning  cry  of 
fear  sounded  through  the  forest — the  cry  of  a  girl  in  dire 
distress. 

That  sent  the  blood  like  molten  lava  through  Franlc 
Merriwell's  veins. 

Following  the  moaning  cry  came  shriek  after  shriek, 
terrible,  intense,  despairing. 

And  then  sounded  that  rumbling  roar,  a  sound  that 
was  horrible  beyond  description.  It  was  like  rolling 
thunder,  and  yet  it  had  the  mingled  note  of  a  human  being 
and  a  beast  in  fury.  It  seemed  to  fill  all  the  forest  and 
to  make  the  leaves  on  the  trees  quiver. 

Mpomo  fell  flat  on  his  face,  utterly  overcome  with  ter 
ror.  Frank  and  Ephraim  were  rooted  to  the  ground  for 
a  moment,  but,  as  soon  as  the  sounds  ceased,  Frank 
whirled  and  clutched  his  companion,  giving  the  boy  from 
Vermont  a  savage  shake. 

"It's  the  gorilla!"  he  panted.  "He  has  pursued  her 
— he  has  found  her !  We  must  save  her — or  die !" 

Ephraim's  teeth  had  been  rattling  together,  but  he 
braced  up  wonderfully,  returning: 

"Go  ahead,  Frank,  I'll  foller  ye,  ef  it's  a  hundred 
roarin'  devils  we're  goin'  to  meet!  I'm  purty  scart,  but 
I  ain't  even  goin'  ter  think  abaout  bein'  at  hum  on  the 
farm.  Go  ahead!" 

Forward  they  went  at  a  run,  paying  no  heed  to  Mpomo, 
who  still  lay  face  downward  on  the  ground,  as  if  he  had 
been  death  stricken. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  broke  through  into  an  open 
space  amid  the  trees,  and  were  just  in  time  to  see  a  huge, 
hairy  creature  disappear  into  the  shadows  at  the  farther 
side. 

"Did  you  see  him?"  panted  Frank. 

"Yep,"  answered  Ephraim,  staring  about.  "But 
where's  the  gal?" 


Elsie  Bellwood's  Peril.  263 

"He  had  her — had  her  in  his  arms!  Come  on!  Be 
ready  to  shoot,  but  take  care  not  to  shoot  her." 

After  the  gorilla  they  rushed,  heedless,  reckless,  des 
perate.  The  shadows  were  deep  beneath  the  trees,  but 
they  did  not  mind.  The  chivalry  of  their  natures  was 
aroused,  and  they  would  have  dared  anything  just  then. 

They  looked  around,  expecting  to  see  the  monster  near 
at  hand;  but  the  brute  had  vanished  in  a  most  singular 
manner.  They  were  about  to  push  onward  when  they 
were  startled  by  a  cry : 

"Frank — save  me!" 

It  came  from  above.  Looking  upward,  Frank  beheld  a 
spectacle  that  seemed  to  turn  his  seething  blood  to  ice- 
water. 

A  monster  gorilla,  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  with  im 
mense  body,  huge  chest,  long,  muscular  arms,  fiercely 
glaring  large  deep-gray  eyes,  and  a  fiendish  expression 
of  face,  like  some  frightful  nightmare  vision,  was  clinging 
amid  the  stout  branches  of  a  large  tree.  With  one  arm 
this  monster  of  the  African  forest  held  to  its  hairy 
breast  a  girl— a  white  girl — Elsie  Bellwood ! 

Frank's  worst  fears  were  confirmed.  He  had  hoped 
and  prayed  that  it  might  not  be  Elsie;  but  now  he  knew 
the  girl  who  was  so  dear  to  him  was  in  this  frightful 
peril.  How  she  came  there,  so  far  from  her  father's 
vessel,  he  could  not  conceive,  and  there  was  no  time  for 
speculation  on  that  point.  She  must  be  rescued  with 
out  delay. 

The  crest  of  short  hair  which  stood  on  the  gorilla's 
forehead  began  to  twitch  up  and  down,  while  the  monster 
showed  his  powerful  fangs,  making  Frank  think  of  the 
dreadful  creatures,  half  human  and  half  beast,  which  he 
had  seen  in  pictures  of  the  infernal  region. 

Although  the  gorilla  did  not  seem  to  fear  the  boys,  he 
held  the  girl  between  himself  and  them,  glaring  over  her 


264  Elsie  Bellwood's  Peril. 

shoulder,  thus  seeming  to  protect  himself  from  their 
bullets. 

Ephraim  Gallup  had  been  chattering  with  terror,  but 
now,  of  a  sudden,  he  found  himself  wonderfully  cool  and 
deliberate.  His  hand  fell  on  Frank's  arm,  and  he  asked  : 

"Haow  be  we  goin'  to  save  her?" 

"If  we  could  shoot  the  beast  —  if  we  could  kill  it— 


"That  gol  denied  'if  is  a  nasty  word.  Ef  we  shoot, 
we  may  hit  her.  Ef  we  don't  hit  her,  we  may  not  kill  the 
gorilla,  an'  he  may  take  a  noshun  ter  serve  her  ther  way 
he  did  Ostergoth." 

Frank  knew  this  was  true.  The  first  bullet  must  be 
deadly,  or  the  imperiled  girl  might  be  rent  limb  from 
limb  by  the  wounded  monster. 

The  situation  was  one  to  rob  the  strongest  man  of  his 
nerve,  but  Frank  Merriwell  did  not  lose  his  head. 

"Get  under  the  tree,  Ephraim,"  he  directed.  "Prepare 
to  catch  her  when  I  fire.  Move  lively  now  !" 

"But  you're  not  goin'  to  shoot  ?    Yeou'll  hit  her  !" 

"Do  as  I  tell  you,"  came  sternly  from  Frank.  "It  is 
the  only  way  to  save  her.  Get  under  that  limb." 

Ephraim  lost  no  more  time  in  putting  down  his  rifle 
and  doing  as  he  was  directed.  He  placed  himself  di 
rectly  beneath  the  huge  limb  on  which  the  gorilla  was 
standing,  bracing  himself  to  catch  the  girl  if  she  dropped. 

Then  the  other  lad  lifted  his  rifle  and  took  careful  aim 
at  the  right  eye  of  the  gorilla,  which  was  seen  over  the 
girl's  shoulder. 

Never  was  Frank's  hand  steadier  than  at  that  mo 
ment.  The  rifle  seemed  held  in  a  vise. 

The  gorilla  seemed  to  wonder  what  was  about  to  take 
place. 

"Be  still,  Elsie,"  warned  Frank,  in  a  calm  voice.  "I 
will  shoot  the  brute  through  the  head." 


Elsie  Bellwood's  Peril.  265 

Then  he  fired. 

A  scream  broke  from  the  lips  of  the  unfortunate  girl, 
and  the  rifle  fell  from  Frank's  hands,  while  he  groaned: 

"Merciful  heaven !    I  have  hit  her !" 

But  even  as  his  lips  uttered  the  words  two  forms 
came  tumbling  from  the  tree,  one  of  them  with  a  flut 
ter  of  garments,  the  other,  hairy  and  horrible,  turning 
over  and  over  in  the  air. 

Ephraim  Gallup,  true  to  his  trust,  caught  the  girl. 
Then  he  leaped  aside  to  avoid  the  gorilla,  who  had  struck 
close  to  him  upon  the  ground,  and  was  tearing  up  the 
earth  in  his  frightful  death  struggles. 

Frank  sprang  forward  and  literally  tore  the  girl  from 
the  arms  of  his  friend.  He  gazed  wildly  into  her  face, 
palpitating : 

"Elsie,  little  sweetheart,  have  I  harmed  you!  If  I 
have,  I'll  never  forgive  myself!  Speak  to  me,  Elsie!" 

Her  eyes  were  closed  and  her  face  was  deathly  white. 
A  chill  struck  through  Frank's  heart  like  the  keen  blade 
of  a  knife. 

"Speak,  Elsie,"  he  hoarsely  whispered.  "Open  your 
eyes !'' 

Then  he  lowered  her  gently  to  the  ground,  an  expres 
sion  of  unutterable  anguish  on  his  handsome  face. 

"I  have  killed  her !"  he  groaned. 

"Git  aout !"  snorted  Ephraim  Gallup.  "Hev  yeou  gone 
crazy,  Frank !  Never  saw  yeou  make  a  fool  uv  yourself 
before." 

"But  look,  Ephraim — see  how  ghastly  she  is !" 

"Wai,  I  don't  see  no  blood  on  her.  Yeou  never  touched 
her  at  all.  But  yeou  did  shute  the  gorilla  clean  through 
ther  coco.  Thar  gal's  fainted." 

"Fainted?" 

"That's  all." 

Frank  was  on  his  knees  at  her  side,  chafing  her  hands 


266  Elsie  BellwoocTs  Peril. 

and  gazing  earnestly  into  her  face.  For  all  that  she  was 
so  pale,  for  all  that  her  clothes  were  torn  and  her  hair 
tangled,  she  had  never  looked  prettier  than  at  that  mo 
ment.  She  was  like  a  rumpled  doll. 

The  gorilla  lay  quite  still  where  he  had  fallen,  his 
struggles  having  ceased.  Ephraim  went  over  and  gave 
the  creature  a  savage  kick,  crying : 

"There,  gol  dern  ye !  try  to  kerry  off  another  gal,  will 
ye !  I'll  bet  a  good  Durham  kaow  yeou  don't !" 

Having  relieved  his  feelings  in  this  manner,  he  again 
turned  his  attention  to  Frank  and  Elsie. 

"She'll  come  raound  all  right  bum-by,  Frank,"  he  said. 
"Don't  yeou  worry  abaout  that.  Ef  we  hed  some  water, 
ur  a  little  uv  the  professor's  whiskey,  we  could  bring 
her  raound  right  off;  but  I  kinder  guess  it'll  be  all  right 
cf  she  takes  her  time." 

Frank  had  satisfied  himself  that  Elsie  was  not  injured 
at  all  by  the  bullet,  but  still  he  was  filled  with  unutterable 
anxiety.  He  hovered  over  her,  rubbing  her  hands  and 
calling  her  name,  till  her  eyelids  began  to  flutter,  a  deep 
sigh  passed  her  lips,  and  she  finally  murmured: 

"Frank !" 

"Elsie!" 

Once  more  he  had  her  in  his  arms,  looking  wildly  into 
her  face.  She  opened  her  eyes,  saw  his  face  so  near,  and 
smiled  faintly. 

"Frank,  you  saved  me!" 

"Yes,  thank  Heaven!  I  was  able  to  save  you,  little 
sweetheart!  I  feared  I  had  killed  you  when  you  cried 
out;  but  my  bullet  went  true,  and  the  gorilla  is  dead.'* 

She  shuddered. 

"Oh,  the  dreadful  beast!"  she  half  sobbed.  "I  ran  as 
long  as  I  had  strength,  and  then  I  hid;  but  the  great, 
hairy  creature  found  me.  Oh,  it  was  horrible,  horrible!" 

She  seemed  overcome  by  the  remembrance,  shuddering 


Elsie  Bellwood's  Peril.  267 

and  sobbing.  Frank  held  her  close  to  his  heart,  trying 
to  calm  her. 

"Guess  hell  git  along  all  right  ef  I  don't  help  him," 
said  the  boy  from  Vermont,  turning  away  and  winking  at 
nothing  in  particular. 

Ephraim  pretended  to  be  very  busy  in  examining  the 
dead  gorilla  during  the  next  ten  minutes,  and  he  would 
have  spent  a  longer  time  in  this  manner  if  Frank  had  not 
spoken  to  him. 

"Wai,  I  guess  she's  all  right  now,"  said  the  Yankee 
boy,  as  he  sauntered  over  to  the  young  couple. 

"I  am,  thanks  to  you  both,"  said  Elsie,  holding  out  her 
hand  to  him.  "I  owe  you  a  thousand  thanks." 

"One's  enough  fer  me,"  said  Ephraim.  "Give  t'other 
nine  hundred  an'  ninety-nine  to  Frank.  He's  the  feller 
what  done  the  shutin',  an'  he  ker-plunked  that  gol  dern 
ole  gorilla  right  plumb  in  the  eye." 

"I  aimed  at  his  eye,"  said  Frank.  "I  could  see  it 
blazing  over  Elsie's  shoulder.  Somehow,  I  felt  that  I 
could  not  miss  it.  It  seemed  like  a  magnet  that  would 
draw  the  bullet." 

"It  was  a  desperit  chance,"  Ephraim  observed.  "Ef 
yeou'd  only  wounded  the  critter,  it'd  bin  a  bad  thing 
fer  Miss  Bellwood." 

"I  knew  I  must  not  fail  to  kill  it  with  the  first  shot." 

"Wai,  by  gosh!  there  ain't  many  boys  uv  yeour  age 
that  kin  say  they  have  shot  a  real  live  gorilla." 

"There's  not  another  boy  in  the  whole  world  like 
Frank  Merriwell !"  declared  Elsie,  proudly.  "He  is  the 
most  wonderful  boy  who  ever  lived — the  bravest  and 
the  noblest !" 

Frank  blushed. 

"Oh,  come,  Elsie!"  he  protested;  "don't  lay  it  on  so 
thick !  I  can't  stand  it — really  I  can't.  You  don't  know 


268  Elsie  Bellwood's  Peril. 

all  the  boys  in  the  world,  and  so  you  are  not  competent  to 
judge." 

Although  Frank  possessed  a  certain  amount  of  self- 
esteem,  he  was  not  conceited;  he  did  not  think  himself 
the  smartest  fellow  in  the  world,  which  is  rather  remark 
able  considering  the  fortune  that  had  befallen  him  and 
the  adventures  through  which  he  had  passed.  Most  lads 
in  Frank's  shoes  would  have  been  spoiled  j  but,  instead  of 
getting  the  "big  head,"  Frank  was  learning  each  day  how 
insignificant  one  human  being  really  is,  and  he  knew 
the  world  would  jog  along  very  well  if  he  were  to  sud 
denly  drop  out  of  existence. 

The  adventure  through  which  Elsie  had  passed  had 
severely  shaken  her  nerves,  and  had  robbed  her  of 
strength.  Both  lads  were  eager  to  know  how  she  came 
there  in  the  forest,  far  from  the  Saucy  Susan,  but,  under 
standing  the  state  of  mind  she  was  in,  they  refrained  from 
questioning  her  then. 

Supporting  her  between  them,  and  leaving  the  dead 
gorilla  to  be  found  and  brought  in  by  some  of  the  natives, 
they  started  for  the  camp. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

A     NIGHT     ATTACK. 

When  the  camp  was  reached  Captain  Bellwood  and 
several  sailors  were  found  there.  The  captain  was  nearly 
distracted,  and  the  sight  of  his  child,  alive  and  prac 
tically  uninjured,  filled  him  with  unutterable  joy.  He 
clasped  her  in  his  arms,  and  actually  shed  tears  of  hap 
piness. 

When  the  old  salt  learned  that  Elsie  had  been  rescued 
by  Frank  and  Ephraim,  who  had  saved  her  from  the 
clutches  of  a  gorilla,  when  he  heard  how  Frank  had  shot 
the  monarch  of  the  African  forest  through  the  head,  al 
though  forced  to  take  chances  of  hitting  the  girl  with 
the  bullet,  Justin  Bellwood  regarded  both  lads  with 
unspeakable  admiration. 

The  master  of  the  Saucy  Susan  wrung  Ephraim's 
hand  warmly,  but  he  deliberately  embraced  Frank,  his 
voice  far  from  steady,  as  he  said: 

"My  little  girl  has  said  you  are  the  most  wonderful 
boy  in  the  whole  world,  and  I  am  beginning  to  believe 
she  is  right.  Frank  Merriwell,  I  owe  you  a  mighty  debt 
— a  debt  I  can  never  pay.  Anything  and  everything  I 
may  ever  possess  is  yours.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  ask.'* 

The  eyes  of  Frank  and  Elsie  met  for  a  single  ins'.ant, 
and  the  girl's  lashes  drooped,  while  a  warm  flood  of  color 
rushed  to  the  cheeks  that  had  been  so  pale  a  wJ  ile  be 
fore. 

"Thank  you,  Captain  Bellwood,"  said  Frank,  quietly, 
gravely.  "It  makes  me  happy  to  know  you  feel  thus 
toward  me.  Still,  I  do  not  want  too  much  credit.  Eph- 


270  A  Night  Attack. 

raim  stood  by  me  through  it  all,  and  he  caught  Elsie  when 
she  fell,  after  I  shot  the  gorilla." 

"Oh,  that  wan't  northin'  at  all,"  spluttered  the  Ver- 
monter,  awkwardly.  "Anybody  could  have  done  that. 
But  it  did  take  a  feller  with  haydoogins  uv  nerve  ter 
shute  ther  gorilla  an'  not  hit  the  little  gal." 

"Well,  well,  well!"  cried  Professor  Bonner,  who  had 
heard  all  that  passed.  "And  to  think  I  hesitated  about 
taking  such  boys  as  companions!  Remarkable  lads. 
[Wonderful  youths!  I  am  proud — proud,  sir! — to  have 
them  with  me." 

Frank  was  restless  and  longed  to  get  away,  as  all  this 
praise  and  admiration  were  far  from  agreeable  to  him. 
However,  he  had  not  heard  how  it  happened  that  Elsie 
was  there,  and,  by  way  of  turning  the  tide  of  conversa 
tion,  he  asked  that  the  matter  be  explained. 

Then  Captain  Bellwood  told  how  there  had  been  trou 
ble  brewing  among  the  sailors  for  some  time,  and  how  it 
had  been  necessary  to  put  the  irons  on  Ostergoth  and 
confine  him  in  the  hold.  The  Swede  had  sworn  to  have 
revenge,  and  had  awaited  his  time. 

Another  sailor,  Bob  Buntline,  a  restless  and  quarrel 
some  fellow,  had  expressed  his  hatred  for  Captain  Bell- 
wood,  and  the  two  had  plotted  to  strike  -a  blow  at  the 
master  of  the  Saucy  Susan. 

The  very  day  that  Frank  and  Ephraim  started  up  the 
river  with  Professor  Bonner  the  captain  had  gone  ashore, 
permitting  Elsie  to  accompany  him  for  the  first  time. 

While  the  captain  was  trading  in  the  village,  the  girl 
had  left  him  for  a  few  moments.  When  he  came  to  look 
for  her  she  could  not  be  found. 

Of  course  an  alarm  was  raised  immediately.  Elsie  had 
disappeared  most  mysteriously,  and  it  was  some  time  be 
fore  the  captain  could  learn  anything  of  her. 


A  Night  Attack.  271 

At  last  he  found  that  Ostergoth,  Buntline,  and  another 
fellow  by  the  name  of  Bill  Jones  were  missing. 

A  little  later  it  was  discovered  that  certain  natives  had 
disappeared  from  the  village. 

Then  Captain  Bellwood  became  convinced  of  treach 
ery;  but  it  was  not  easy  to  track  the  kidnapers  and  their 
native  allies.  After  a  time  he  found  they  had  proceeded 
up  the  river,  and  he  organized  an  expedition  to  follow. 

Elsie  had  been  lured  from  her  father's  side  by  Bill 
Jones,  whom  she  did  not  suspect  of  treachery.  Pro 
fessing  to  have  something  very  wonderful  to  show  her, 
Jones  had  enticed  her  away,  a  blanket  had  been  cast 
over  her  head,  and  she  had  been  dragged  into  the  forest 
by  Jones,  Buntline  and  Ostergoth. 

The  three  ruffians  had  lost  no  time  in  getting  away. 
They  had  hired  some  natives  to  furnish  a  boat  and  accom 
pany  them,  after  which  they  had  blackened  their  faces 
and  bodies,  had  dressed  like  natives  as  far  as  possible, 
had  placed  the  bound  and  gagged  girl  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat,  and  had  escaped  up  the  river  without  attract 
ing  much  of  any  attention. 

Ostergoth,  who  was  the  real  leader  of  the  party,  had  a 
wild  scheme  to  hurry  up  the  river,  pass  the  professor  and 
the  boys,  arouse  the  natives,  attack  the  professor's  party, 
plunder  it  of  the  goods,  and  then  go  still  farther  inland 
with  the  girl. 

The  Swede  did  not  believe  they  could  be  followed  very 
far  inland,  and  it  was  his  conviction  that  the  interior  of 
Africa  was  a  second  Eden,  where  any  one  could  lay 
around  without  work  and  live  on  wild  fruits  and  game, 
He  painted  a  very  alluring  picture  for  his  comrades  in 
crime. 

Ostergoth  had  a  scheme  to  become  king  of  some  in 
land  tribe,  and  to  hold  Elsie  Bellwood  as  his  wife. 

But  Buntline  and  Jones  were  smitten  by  the  girl's 


272  A  Night  Attack. 

charms,  and  a  quarrel  arose  among  the  villainous  trio  as 
to  which  one  should  have  the  unfortunate  captive. 

Elsie's  sufferings  were  intense.  Much  of  the  trip 
seemed  like  a  moving  nightmare.  After  the  gag  was 
removed  from  her  aching  jaws,  she  was  kept  silent  much 
of  the  time  under  threats  of  death,  but  sometimes  she  did 
break  forth  and  express  her  agony  in  cries  of  distress. 

Frank  Merriwell  had  heard  her  cry  out  as  she  was 
being  carried  past  the  village  of  Goumbi  in  the  night. 
That  cry  had  aroused  him  from  deep  slumber,  and  had 
haunted  him  afterward. 

As  the  party  proceeded,  the  quarrel  over  the  girl  be 
came  more  violent.  At  last  it  was  decided  that  they 
should  draw  lots  to  see  who  should  have  her. 

Jones  was  the  one  who  drew  her,  much  to  the  girl's 
relief,  for,  although  he  was  a  rascal,  she  did  not  fear 
him  so  much  as  the  others. 

But  Ostergoth  was  not  satisfied.  He  sulked,  and  was 
sullen;  he  declared  he  had  been  robbed. 

And  then,  when  the  opportunity  came,  the  Swede  kid 
naped  her  and  fled  into  the  forest  with  her. 

The  man  must  have  been  deranged,  else  he  would  not 
have  attempted  such  a  wild  project.  His  companions 
followed  him,  swearing  they  would  kill  him  on  sight,  and 
he  hid  in  the  jungle,  again  forcing  Elsie  to  be  silent 
under  threat  of  death. 

But  Ostergoth  simply  rushed  to  his  doom.  Elsie  told 
how  they  came  suddenly  upon  the  gorilla,  how  the  sailor 
had  fired  hastily  at  the  beast,  missing  in  his  excitement, 
how  she  had  broken  away  and  fled  as  the  monster  charged 
upon  the  Swede. 

The  girl  had  fled  till  exhausted,  but,  with  the  seem 
ing  intelligence  of  a  human  being,  the  gorilla  had  fol 
lowed  her.  The  brute  had  made  her  a  captive,  but  had 
not  offered  her  any  harm,  for  the  boys  came  upon  him 


A  Night  Attack.  273 

almost  immediately,  and  he  had  fled,  swinging  into  a  tree 
with  ease,  for  all  of  his  living  burden. 

Then  Frank  Merriwell  had  shot  the  monster,  and 
Elsie  was  saved. 

Frank  was  greatly  aroused  when  he  heard  the  girl's 
story.  He  felt  like  organizing  a  hunting  party  and  track 
ing  Buntline  and  Jones  down,  and  he  urged  such  a 
course. 

Elsie,  however,  rejoiced  at  her  final  safe  escape  from 
the  ruffians,  objected  to  this. 

"Let  them  go,"  she  pleaded.  "They  will  not  dare 
return  to  the  coast,  and  they  are  liable  to  perish  in  the 
wilds  of  the  forest." 

Captain  Bellwood  had  been  greatly  aroused  against 
the  kidnapers,  but  he  listened  to  Elsie's  words,  feeling 
that  he  must  not  long  leave  the  Saucy  Susan  without  a 
master. 

It  was  decided  that  the  captain's  party  should  return 
to  the  schooner  in  the  morning. 

By  this  time  night  had  fallen,  and  the  hunters  had 
not  yet  returned  with  the  dead  gorilla,  although  they 
had  been  sent  out  for  the  beast  immediately  upon  the 
return  of  Frank  and  Ephraim  to  the  camp. 

Professor  Bonner  had  been  much  exhausted  by  the 
day's  journey,  and  he  sought  sleep  at  an  early  hour. 

The  black  men  who  had  paddled  the  boats  were  like 
wise  tired,  and  they  soon  slept. 

A  few  of  the  Commi  men  sat  about  the  fires  and  told 
stories  of  gorilla  hunts.  They  regarded  Frank  with  the 
greatest  admiration. 

Captain  Bellwood  and  the  first  mate  of  the  Saucy 
Susan  smoked  and  talked,  while  Ephraim  listened,  re 
clining  on  his  elbow. 

Where  the  firelight  and  shadows  mingled,  beneath  the 
wide-spreading  branches  of  a  great  tree,  Frank  and  Elsie 


274  A  Night  Attack. 

•were  sitting.  In  a  great  measure  the  girl  had  recovered 
from  the  frightful  adventures  through  which  she  had 
passed,  and,  although  she  was  tired,  knowing  she  must 
part  from  Frank  in  the  morning,  she  remained  awake, 
chatting  with  him. 

"You  had  better  go  back  with  me,  Frank,"  urged  the 
girl. 

"Oh,  no,  Elsie.  I  have  started  with  Professor  Bon- 
ner  on  this  search  for  the  Missing  Link,  and  I  cannot 
turn  back  at  the  outset." 

"But  think  of  the  perils  you  will  encounter." 

"Some  way  perils  add  a  fascination  to  this  sort  of 
venture." 

"But  think  of  Professor  Scotch,  your  guardian.  The 
poor  man  will  go  crazy  when  he  learns  of  this  last  ven 
ture  of  yours." 

"Not  when  he  knows  I  am  with  Johnson  Bonner,  his 
former  schoolmate  and  friend." 

"But  I  am  afraid  to  return  alone  to  the  vessel." 

"Afraid?" 

"Yes." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Why,  see  what  befell  me  as  soon  as  you  left.  If  you 
had  been  there  I  do  not  fancy  those  wretches  would  have 
succeeded  in  carrying  me  off." 

"Thank  you,  Elsie.  You  say  that  very  prettily,  and 
I  appreciate  it,  but  it  is  useless  to  urge  me  to  return  now. 
I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  giving  up  so  easily  when  I  have 
set  out  on  an  undertaking." 

She  gave  a  deep  sigh. 

"Well,  I  see  it  is  useless  to  talk  to  you;  you're  set  as 
the  hills,  and  I  think  you  are  just  perfectly  mean." 

Then  both  laughed  softly. 

One  by  one,  the  black  men  were  falling  asleep;  the 
fires  were  dying  down,  and  the  talk  between  Captain 


A  Night  Attack.  275 

Bellwood  and  the  mate  had  ceased.  Frank  Merriwell 
listened,  a  strange  feeling  of  dread  seizing  upon  his  heart 
of  a  sudden. 

It  seemed  that  the  mighty  forest  was  holding  its  breath, 
feven  the  droning  of  nocturnal  insects  being  hushed. 

The  fire  flared  from  no  apparent  cause,  and  flung  fan 
tastic  shadows  amid  the  underbrush. 

What  were  those  moving  forms?  Had  the  hunters 
returned  with  the  dead  gorilla  ?  Were  they  silently  bring 
ing  the  king  of  beasts  into  the  camp? 

Frank  leaned  forward,  peering  sharply  at  the  shadows. 
His  hand  sought  the  butt  of  a  revolver. 

"What  is  it  ?"  panted  Elsie  in  his  ear,  frightened  by  his 
manner. 

He  did  not  answer,  but  he  snatched  out  his  revolver. 

"Halt,  there !"  he  cried. 

A  fierce  yell  rang  through  the  forest,  a  yell  that  seemed 
answered  by  a  hundred  echoes.  Like  panthers,  the  black 
shadows  shot  forward  into  the  firelight.  They  were  hu 
man  beings,  armed  with  old  muskets,  spears,  war  axes 
and  other  implements.  Their  faces  and  their  bodies  were 
painted  in  many  colors,  and  they  were  frightful  to  be 
hold. 

Some  of  these  frightful  beings  who  had  guns  began 
firing  at  the  recumbent  figures  of  the  Commi  men.  Some 
of  them  pinned  the  Commi  men  to  the  ground  with  their 
long  spears.  Some  of  them  brained  the  unresisting 
Commi  men  with  war  axes. 

In  a  moment  frightful  slaughter  had  begun. 

"The  Bakalai!  the  Bakalai!"  shrieked  the  frightened 
black  men  from  the  coast. 

Hearing  this,  Frank  knew  the  fiercest  warriors  of 
Equatorial  Africa  had  made  this  night  attack. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

UNFORTUNATE    ELSIE. 

"Up,  Ephraim! — up,  everybody!"  shouted  Frank. 
"Fight — fight  for  your  lives !" 

He  began  firing  into  the  ranks  of  the  assailants,  taking 
care  to  make  every  bullet  count  if  possible. 

As  Ephraim  Gallup  scrambled  blindly  to  his  feet  a  hid 
eously  painted  warrior  attempted  to  run  him  through 
with  a  spear. 

Frank  shot  the  warrior  dead  in  his  tracks. 

Ephraim  rose  with  his  rifle  in  his  grasp. 

"Gol  dern  my  punkins!"  he  shouted.  "I  jest  wish  I 
hed  a  Maxim  gun !  Git  aout,  you  painted  niggers !" 

Then  he  began  firing.  He  closed  both  eyes  and  blazed 
away  into  the  thick  of  the  attacking  warriors. 

Captain  Bellwood  and  the  mate  got  upon  their  feet 
and  joined  in  the  battle. 

The  Commi  men  seemed  demoralized  and  unable  to 
offer  any  resistance,  but  this  was  not  true  of  the  white 
men  of  the  party.  The  sailors  were  slightly  bewildered 
at  first,  but  they  realized  that  they  must  fight  for  their 
lives,  and  they  lost  little  time  in  getting  about  it. 

Captain  Bellwood  had  thoroughly  armed  his  party  be 
fore  venturing  into  the  wilderness,  which  was  very  for 
tunate. 

The  Bakalai  warriors  continued  to  howl  like  a  hundred 
fiends  from  the  infernal  region,  and  their  shrieks  were 
sufficient  to  unnerve  an  ordinary  man. 

But  the  black  warriors  knew  little  of  magazine  rifles 
and  revolvers,  and  they  were  astonished  beyond  measure 


Unfortunate  Elsie.  277 

when  the  white  men  continued  to  shoot  without  stopping 
to  reload.  That  was  a  marvel  they  could  not  understand. 

"They  are  wizards !  they  are  wizards !"  shouted  the 
Bakalai  in  their  own  language. 

As  they  saw  their  warriors  dropping  before  the  con 
tinued  firing  of  the  white  men,  consternation  seized  upon 
them.  The  chief  sounded  the  retreat,  and  they  disap 
peared  into  the  darkness  of  the  forest,  vanishing  like 
shadows,  as  they  had  come  like  shadows. 

There  were  many  dead  and  wounded  on  the  ground, 
but,  for  all  of  the  unexpected  assault  of  the  Bakalai,  it 
was  seen  that  they  had  suffered  most.  The  work  of 
the  repeating  rifles  and  revolvers  had  been  deadly,  and 
many  of  the  painted  blacks  lay  dead  upon  the  ground. 

The  whites  had  not  entirely  escaped.  One  poor  fellow 
had  been  run  through  with  a  spear,  and  had  died  quickly. 
Two  others  were  wounded,  and  they  feared  the  weapons 
which  had  inflicted  the  wounds  were  poisoned. 

Frank  Merriwell,  Ephraim  Gallup,  Captain  Bellwood, 
and  Professor  Bonner  had  escaped  without  a  scratch. 

As  soon  as  it  was  certain  the  Bakalai  had  given  over 
the  assault  and  retreated,  Frank  turned  to  look  fp.r  Elsie. 

She  was  gone ! 

He  had  believed  she  was  close  behind  him,  and  he  had 
fought  like  a  Trojan  to  defend  her,  now  he  was  startled 
and  astonished  to  find  she  was  not  beneath  the  tree. 

There  was  great  confusion  in  the  camp.  The  Commi 
men  were  dispatching  the  Bakalai  warriors  who  had  been 
too  severely  wounded  to  get  away,  and  shrieks  and  cries 
of  rage  mingled.  Black  forms  rushed  hither  and  thither. 
In  the  midst  of  this  Frank  looked  for  Elsie. 

"Where  is  she?"  he  asked  himself.  "Where  has  she 
fled?" 

He  felt  that  she  must  be  near  at  hand,  and  yet  his  heart 


278  Unfortunate  Elsie. 

was  filled  with  alarm.  He  searched  hastily  through  the 
camp,  but  found  nothing  of  her. 

The  thought  that  she  had  been  carried  away  by  the 
Bakalai  warriors  was  too  horrible  to  entertain  for  a 
moment,  but  still  it  kept  forcing  itself  upon  him. 

Beneath  the  overspreading  trees  he  called  to  her,  peer 
ing  into  the  shadows : 

"Elsie!    Elsie!    Elsie!" 

No  answer. 

Strong  hands  clutched  Frank,  a  hoarse  voice  cried  in 
his  ear: 

"Where  is  she — where  is  my  child  ?" 

The  firelight  showed  the  smoke-grimed,  anxious  face 
of  Captain  Bellwood.  His  fingers  seemed  to  sink  into  the 
boy's  arm. 

Frank  lifted  one  hand,  partially  averting  his  head. 
The  gesture  spoke  plainer  than  words,  and  a  groan  es 
caped  the  captain. 

"My  Heaven!  what  has  happened  to  her?  Have  they 
killed  her?" 

"She  is  gone." 

"Gone?" 

"Yes.  I  have  searched  through  the  camp — I  have 
called  her.  I  cannot  find  her,  and  she  does  not  answer." 

"But  she  must  be  near — she  must  be  near.  She  is  hid 
ing  somewhere !  She  fled  to  some  place  of  hiding  when 
the  attack  began." 

"We  will  hope  so." 

The  entire  camp  was  soon  searching  for  the  missing 
girl ;  but  they  found  no  trace  of  her.  She  had  vanished, 
and  the  conviction  that  she  had  been  carried  away  by 
the  Bakalai  warriors  forced  itself  upon  them. 

Captain  Bellwood's  anguish  was  terrible.  He  was  like 
a  man  bereft  of  reason. 

Frank  did  not  say  much,  but  his  face  was  hard  and 


Unfortunate  Elsie.  279 

cold,  and  there  was  a  terrible  glitter  in  his  eyes.  He 
drew  Ephraim  aside. 

"It  is  my  fault,"  he  said.  "I  should  have  watched  her 
closer." 

"It  ain't  yeour  fault,"  declared  the  boy  from  Vermont. 
"Yeou  s 'posed  she  was  clost  behind  ye  all  ther  time." 

"But  I   should  have  made  sure  of  it." 

"Haow  could  ye?" 

"I  should  have  warned  her  not  to  leave  me — I  should 
have  told  her  to  remain  close  behind  me." 

"I  don't  knaow  haow  a  feller  could  think  uv  everything 
in  such  a  case  as  that.  By  gum !  ther  way  them  painted 
skunks  jumped  aout  uv  the  dark  an'  began  ter  spear  us 
like  we  was  suckers  was  enough  ter  rattle  anybody. 
IWe're  dern  lucky  ter  be  alive." 

Frank's  head  was  bowed;  his  eyes  were  upon  the 
ground.  For  some  moments  he  was  silent,  hearing  Cap 
tain  Bellwood  raving  like  a  maniac.  Then  he  shook 
himself  as  if  awakening  from  a  trance. 

"It  cannot  be  that  she  remained  close  behind  me,"  he 
said.  "If  she  had  I  should  have  heard  her  scream  when 
she  was  clutched  by  those  black  fiends." 

"That's  so,"  nodded  Ephraim. 

"If  I  had  heard  her- — well,  they  would  not  have  dragged 
her  away  while  I  breathed !" 

"I  know  it,  Frank.  Yeou'd  'a'  fit,  fought  an'  died  fer 
her." 

"And  still  I  feel  that  I  am  to  blame — I  should  have  pro 
tected  her.  I  cannot  help  feeling  that  way." 

"Yeou  ain't  to  blame." 

"But  I  shall  ever  feel  that  I  am.  I  cannot  look  Cap 
tain  Bellwood  in  the  face.  His  eyes  accuse  me.  I  turn 
from  them.  For  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  feel  like  a 
guilty  thing." 

"Wai.  what  be  yeou  goin'  ter  do?" 


280  Unfortunate  Elsie. 

"Do!"  cried  Frank,  fiercely.  "I'll  not  rest  till  I  have 
found  and  rescued  Elsie — or  avenger  her !;' 

"By  gosh !  that's  ther  talk !     I'm  with  ye,  too  1" 

Captain  Bellwood  was  no  less  determined  to  save  his 
child  if  possible,  but  he  was  too  distracted  to  listen  to 
reason.  He  believed  it  possible  to  follow  the  Bakalai  at 
once,  and  it  was  with  no  little  difficulty  that  he  was  re 
strained  from  rushing  away  into  the  forest  in  wild  pur 
suit  of  them. 

The  Commi  men,  being  peaceable  and  unwarlike,  had 
been  overcome  with  terror  and  consternation  by  the  at 
tack  of  the  Bakalai,  whom  they  feared.  Several  of  the 
Commi  had  been  killed,  and  their  friends  were  wailing 
with  grief  over  the  corpses,  beating  their  breasts,  and 
going  through  fantastic  ceremonies. 

Professor  Bonner  was  greatly  disturbed  by  what  had 
taken  place. 

"It  is  most  unfortunate — most  unfortunate,"  he  de 
clared  to  Frank,  when  he  found  an  opportunity  to  speak 
to  the  youth.  "I  fear  it  will  ruin  our  expedition  in  search 
of  the  Missing  Link." 

"Hang  the  Missing  Link!"  exclaimed  Ephraim,  who 
was  standing  near.  "It's  the  pore  little  gal  we're  thinkin' 
of  naow." 

"That's  right,  professor,"  nodded  Frank.  "It  is  Elsie 
Bellwood  that  we  must  think  of  now.  We  must  rescue 
her,  or  avenge  her.  My  blood  freezes  when  I  think  of 
the  fate  that  may  befall  her  amid  those  black  devils." 

"We'll  do  our  best  to  find  her,"  said  the  professor;  "but 
I  fear  it  will  be  a  fruitless  search." 

"Not  for  me,"  came  hoarsely  from  Frank's  lips.  "If 
necessary,  I  will  devote  the  rest  of  my  life  to  the  task 
of  tracing  her  and  learning  her  fate." 

"I  believe  you,  and  I  hope  you  may  succeed;  but  it  is 
a  terrible  task  you  have  before  you.  However,  for  the 


Unfortunate  Elsie.  28 1 

time  being,  I  shall  forget  my  mission  in  Africa,  and  ren 
der  you  such  assistance  as  possible." 

It  was  found  that  the  Commi  men  were  so  badly  fright 
ened  that  they  felt  like  turning  back  and  hastening  to 
their  homes. 

Frank,  who  had  read  much  about  the  Bakalai,  argued 
against  this,  telling  them  that  this  was  a  band  of  raiders 
who  had  attacked  them,  and  that  the  band  was  far  from  its 
own  people,  being  in  a  land  of  strangers  and  enemies. 

The  Bakalai,  when  on  their  raids,  move  swiftly  and 
make  short  halts.  The  party  that  had  attacked  the  camp 
would  hasten  from  that  vicinity,  fearing  that  tribes  of  that 
section  would  be  aroused  against  them. 

The  black  fellows  listened  attentively  to  Frank,  boy 
though  he  was.  They  had  seen  him  do  wonderful  shoot 
ing  with  his  guns  which  he  did  not  seem  to  reload,  and 
they  considered  him  a  wizard.  It  was  not  strange  then 
that,  being  a  magician,  he  should  know  so  much  of  the 
habits  of  the  Bakalai,  even  though  his  skin  was  white. 

After  much  "palaver,"  it  was  finally  decided  that  the 
relatives  of  ths  dead  and  wounded  Commi  men  should 
take  them  back  down  the  river  in  a  boat,  while  the  others 
should  stand  by  the  expedition  and  go  forward. 

Having  carried  that  point,  Frank  planned  to  induce 
them  to  pursue  the  Bakalai  raiders,  and  he  was  finally 
successful  in  his  efforts. 

The  pursuit  continued  a  full  week,  and  then  it  was  said 
that  they  were  on  the  very  border  of  the  Bakalai  coun 
try,  and  there  the  Commi  men  revolted  and  refused  to  go 
farther. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE    DEADLY    MBOUNDOU. 

The  tom-toms  of  Ouanga  were  beating,  and  the  whole 
village  was  in  an  uproar.  Men  and  women  were  scream 
ing  and  rushing  about  like  frantic  creatures.  All  were 
armed,  their  eyes  were  blazing,  and  they  seemed  to  thirst 
for  human  blood. 

Ouanga  was  a  large  village  in  the  heart  of  the  Bakalai 
country,  and  to  that  place  captive  Elsie  had  been  taken. 

On  the  journey  the  two  sailors,  Buntline  and  Jones, 
had  been  seen  and  captured.  The  poor  wretches  were 
nearly  starved,  and  they  offered  but  a  feeble  resistance. 

The  sailors  were  treated  as  slaves,  but  they  dared  not 
rebel  against  the  black  men,  for  they  had  been  disarmed, 
and  were  wholly  in  the  power  of  their  captives. 

Several  days  had  been  occupied  in  the  journey  to 
Ouanga,  and  poor  Elsie  was  nearly  crazed  with  despair 
when  the  place  was  finally  reached.  It  did  not  seem  pos 
sible  that  her  friends  could  follow  her  there  and  save  her 
from  her  black  captors. 

And  what  filled  her  with  the  greatest  horror  was  the 
knowledge  that  she  was  being  taken  to  the  king  of  the 
Bakalai,  who  had  long  desired  a  white  wife,  having  seen 
a  white  woman  once  upon  a  time. 

She  was  treated  with  the  utmost  consideration  by  the 
fierce,  warlike  black  men,  who,  believing  she  would  some 
day  have  influence  with  Adouma,  their  king,  did  not 
wish  her  to  enter  complaint  against  them. 

Buntline  and  Jones  were  forced  to  do  a  great  deal  of 
heavy  work  and  bear  large  burdens  during  the  marches. 


The  Deadly  Mboundou.  283 

At  first  Elsie  had  pitied  them,  but  when  they  looked  at 
her  there  was  something  in  their  eyes  that  made  her 
shrink  from  them,  and,  after  a  little,  she  began  to  trust 
more  to  the  black  men. 

But  it  was  not  destined  that  Adouma  should  possess 
a  white  wife,  for,  within  an  hour  after  Elsie  had  been 
brought  into  the  village,  he  fell  ill,  and  his  illness  grew 
swiftly,  so  that  he  was  completely  prostrated  in  a  short 
time. 

Several  doctors  attended  the  king.  They  beat  on 
drums  and  kettles  about  the  bed  on  which  he  lay,  trying 
to  drive  out  the  "evil  spirits"  which  had  taken  possession 
of  him.  They  made  racket  enough  to  kill  a  man  who  was 
moderately  ill. 

Adouma  did  not  get  better,  despite  the  efforts  of  the 
doctors.  On  the  fourth  day  after  being  taken  ill  he  died. 

Then  a  sad  wailing  filled  the  village  and  chilled  the 
blood  of  poor  Elsie.  It  was  the  saddest  sound  she  had 
ever  heard. 

In  the  king's  last  moments  his  wives  had  come  to  him, 
and,  one  by  one,  had  flung  themselves  upon  him,  encir 
cling  his  form  with  their  arms,  pouring  out  torrents  of 
endearing  phrases,  singing  songs  of  love,  and  entreating 
him  not  to  leave  them,  while  the  whole  village  stood 
around  wailing  with  sorrow. 

It  was  a  touching  spectacle.  Elsie  had  witnessed  it 
from  a  distance,  and  her  heart  had  been  filled  with  pity 
for  the  poor  unenlightened  black  people. 

The  African  negro  has  very  vague  ideas  of  the  here 
after,  and  when  a  friend  or  relatives  dies  he  says :  "He  is 
gone,  he  is  dead,  he  is  no  more;  we  shall  never  see  him 
again." 

And  yet  they  believe  in  witchcraft,  sorcery  and  spirits, 
and  they  fear  their  dead,  as  a  rule.  The  Fans,  alone, 
who  are  cannibals,  seem  devoid  of  this  fear.  v 


284  The  Deadly  Mboundou. 

On  the  day  after  the  death  of  Adouma  proceedings 
were  begun  to  discover  the  person  or  persons  who  had 
bewitched  him.  It  was  not  thought  possible  that  he  had 
died  of  natural  causes. 

From  far  up  the  river  a  woman  witch  doctor  was 
brought.  When  she  came  into  Ouanga  no  one  seemed  to 
know.  She  suddenly  appeared  in  the  village. 

In  front  of  the  house  of  the  dead  king  this  witch  doctor 
squatted,  violently  jangling  a  harsh  bell.  Two  attend 
ants  stood  near,  one  of  them  beating  a  board  with  two 
sticks,  the  other  making  strange  and  mysterious  passes 
with  his  hands. 

The  people  of  the  village  came  together  on  a  run.  The 
attendants  motioned  them  back,  and  they  stood  at  a  re 
spectful  distance.  All  were  armed,  and  the  tom-toms 
beat.  For  a  time  great  confusion  existed,  and  then  a 
strange  and  awful  silence  fell  on  the  black  throng. 

Elsie  looked  out  from  the  door  of  the  hut  in  which  she 
was  confined,  and  she  beheld  a  most  horrible  spectacle. 

The  sun  was  sinking,  and  the  afternoon  was  drawing 
toward  its  close. 

The  witch  doctor  had  on  a  high  headdress  of  black 
feathers.  Her  eyelids  were  painted  red,  and  a  red  stripe 
from  the  nose  upward  divided  the  forehead  into  two 
parts.  Another  red  stripe  passed  around  her  head.  The 
face  was  painted  white,  and  on  either  side  of  her  mouth 
were  two  round  red  spots.  Around  her  neck  was  hung  a 
necklace  of  glass,  and  a  little  cord  which  held  a  box 
against  her  breast.  This  little  box  was  supposed  to  be 
sacred  and  contain  spirits. 

About  the  breast  of  the  witch  doctor,  and  exposed 
about  her  person,  were  several  strips  of  leopard  skins,  all 
of  which  were  supposed  to  be  charmed.  From  each 
shoulder  down  to  the  hands  were  white  stripes.  One 


The  Deadly  Mboundou.  285 

hand  was  painted  white ;  the  other  was  blood  red.    There 
was  a  string  of  small  bells  around  her  body. 

This  horrible-looking  object  squatted  before  a  box  that 
contained  charms.  On  this  box  stood  a  looking-glass, 
beside  which  lay  a  buffalo  horn,  containing  some  black 
powder.  This  horn  was  said  to  be  the  refuge  of  many 
spirits. 

The  witch  doctor  had  a  little  basket  of  snake  bones, 
which  she  shook  at  intervals.  She  also  shook  some  skins, 
to  which  small  bells  were  attached. 

Over  and  over  she  kept  repeating  a  strange  gibberish, 
while  the  attendant  on  her  right  beat  on  the  board,  and 
the  one  on  her  left  made  the  mystic  passes. 

After  a  time  the  witch  doctor  seemed  to  fall  into  a 
trance. 

Then  a  most  horrible  hubbub  followed,  gradually  set 
tled  into  a  wild,  weird  chant  to  the  spirit  of  the  moon, 
which  was  now  seen  pale  and  wan  in  the  sky,  the  sun  hav 
ing  set. 

The  song  was  as  follows : 

"Ilogo,  we  ask  thee ! 
Tell  who  hath  bewitched  the  king ! 

"Ilogo,  we  ask  thee, 
Tell  who  hath  destroyed  the  king! 

"The  forests  are  thine,  Ilogo ! 
The  rivers  are  thine,  Ilogo ! 
The  moon  is  thine ! 
O  moon  !   O  moon !   O  moon ! 
Thou  art  the  house  of  Ilogo! 
Why  did  the  king  die? 
Who  slew  the  king? 

"Ilogo,  we  ask  thee ! 
For  the  king  is  dead ; 
We  would  know  who  hath  destroyed  him.*' 


286  The  Deadly  Mboundou. 

Fascinated  and  filled  with  fear,  Elsie  Bellwood  watched 
this  ceremony  from  the  door  of  the  house  where  she  was 
confined. 

Fires  were  kindled,  throwing  flaring  lights  on  the  town 
and  the  river,  which  seemed  to  lie,  without  current,  like  a 
sluggish  pool. 

At  last  the  witch  doctor  stirred  and  sat  up.  Instantly 
an  expectant  silence  fell  on  the  assembled  throng. 

"I  have  seen  Ilogo,"  declared  the  fakir.  "Ilogo  spoke 
to  me.  He  told  me  there  were  three  strangers  in  your 
town — three  strangers  whose  faces  are  white  as  the  face 
of  the  moon. 

"It  is  true,"  muttered  many  voices. 

"One  of  them  is  a  woman,"  said  the  witch  doctor.  "She 
it  was  who  bewitched  the  king." 

A  mad  howl  of  fury  went  up  from  the  mob. 

"She  shall  drink  the  mboundou !"  cried  the  witch  doc 
tor. 

"She  shall  drink  the  mboundou !"  howled  the  crowd. 

"But  there  are  others,"  cried  the  witch  doctor. 

"There  are  others!"  shrieked  the  throng.  "Let  us 
know  them !  They  shall  drink  the  mboundou  !" 

The  "mboundou"  is  a  poison  decoction  which  the  witch 
doctors  seem  able  to  drink  in  large  quanities,  but  which 
invariably  kills  all  others.  By  the  witch  doctors  it  is  said 
to  be  a  test  of  innocence.  If  the  one  charged  with  the 
crime  drinks  it  and  lives,  it  proves  him  innocent. 

"The  tall  white  man  aided  in  bewitching  the  king,"  de 
clared  the  witch  doctor.  "He  hoped  to  become  king  in 
^.douma's  stead." 

"He  shall  drink  the  mboundou !"  shouted  the  mob,  wav 
ing  their  weapons  in  the  air. 

"The  short  white  man  aided  in  bewitching  the  king," 
asserted  the  witch  doctor.  "He  was  tired  of  being  a 
slave." 


The  Deadly  Mboundou.  287 

"He  shall  drink  the  mboundou !" 

"These  are  the  three  who  destroyed  the  king.  Bring 
them  quickly.  The  mboundou  shall  be  prepared.  Bring 
them  to  me." 

Away  rushed  the  wild  mob.  Elsie  had  retreated,  hor 
rified  and  cowering  with  terror,  into  the  house.  They  did 
not  wait  to  enter;  they  tore  down  the  house  about  her, 
and  dragged  her  away  to  the  witch  doctor. 

A  great  calm  came  to  the  unfortunate  girl.  She  did 
not  weep,  and  she  did  not  show  despair. 

"It  is  better  so,"  she  said,  in  a  whisper.  "This  fate  is 
preferable  to  becoming  the  wife  and  slave  of  one  of  these 
black  wretches." 

She  saw  Buntline  and  Jones  dragged  to  the  place  of 
execution.  They  were  nearly  naked,  and  their  eyes  were 
filled  with  unspeakable  fear. 

The  poison  draught  was  prepared,  and  the  executioner 
appeared.  He  was  a  giant,  fierce  of  lace,  with  teeth  filed 
to  points,  and  stained  black.  He  carried  a  short,  heavy 
sword. 

Once  more  a  hush  had  fallen  on  the  mad  throng.  They 
stood  staring  and  waiting,  quivering  in  every  limb,  their 
nostrils  dilated.  The  witch  doctor  chanted  fiercely,  seem 
ing  to  rejoice  in  her  bloody  work.  More  than  ever  did 
she  look  like  some  Satanic  thing. 

The  "mboundou"  was  passed  to  Buntline.  He  shrank 
back.  Then  he  was  ordered  to  drink  it,  or  die  at  once, 
and  the  executioner  raised  his  weapon. 

With  a  curse,  the  sailor  took  the  bowl  and  drank.  For 
some  moments  it  did  not  affect  him  visibly,  and  some 
thing  like  a  feeling  of  disappointment  was  coming  to  the 
spectators  when  he  was  seen  to  stagger. 

Instantly  a  mad  howl  went  up.  Buntline  was  caught 
and  held,  and,  a  second  later,  his  head  fell  to  the  ground, 
severed  from  his  body  by  the  sword  of  the  executioner. 


288  The  Deadly  Mboundou. 

The  bloody  work  was  repeated  with  Jones.  The  man 
struggled  with  all  his  strength  to  resist  the  poison 
draught,  but  his  efforts  were  of  no  avail.  At  last  he 
swayed,  and  then  that  fierce  howl  went  up  again.  A 
second  later  his  head  dropped. 

Then  the  bowl  of  poison  was  offered  to  Elsie ! 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE  FIRE  WIZARD. 

Elsie  lifted  her  eyes,  and  her  lips  moved  in  prayer.  The 
ghostly  moonlight  rested  on  her  pale,  sweet  face.  Her 
golden  hair,  tangled  and  twisted,  fell  about  her  shoulders, 

"Drink !"  harshly  cried  the  witch  doctor. 

"Drink!"  roared  the  multitude  of  black  men  and 
women. 

She  reached  out  her  hands  to  take  the  fatal  bowl. 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  report  like  the  roar  of 
many  cannon,  causing  the  ground  to  reel  beneath  her 
feet.  On  the  four  sides  of  the  town  clouds  of  fire  leaped 
toward  the  sky,  making  the  night  bright  as  day  for  one 
fearful  moment,  and  then  dying  out,  to  leave  the  darkness 
dense  and  terrible,  for  a  pall  of  smoke  arose  and  ob 
scured  the  thin  white  moon. 

The  fires  within  the  town  flared  and  sank,  the  roof  of 
a  hut  fell  in  with  a  crash,  and  the  natives  were  paralyzed 
with  fear. 

Then  a  most  frightful  creature  advanced  toward  the 
spot  where  the  executions  were  taking  place.  It  was 
like  a  man,  but  every  part  of  its  body  seemed  glowing 
with  fire,  red  flames  leaped  from  the  top  of  its  head,  in  its 
right  hand  it  held  a  whirling  wheel  of  colored  fire,  while 
in  its  left  hand  was  a  squirming  serpent  of  green  and 
blue.  It  opened  its  mouth  and  poured  forth  a  stream  of 
fire  and  smoke. 

"Ilogo — it  is  Ilogo !"  shrieked  the  appalled  natives,  and 
they  fell  prostrate  on  their  faces,  covering  their  eyes  from 
the  frightful  spectacle. 


290  The  Fire  Wizard. 

For  a  long  time  they  remained  thus.  When  they  looked 
lip,  the  terrible  vision  of  fire  had  vanished,  and  the  white 
maiden  was  not  to  be  seen. 

The  natives  looked  at  each  other,  wonder  and  fear 
written  on  their  faces. 

"Ilogo  has  taken  her  away,"  they  said.  "He  has  car 
ried  her  to  the  moon !  Great  is  Ilogo !" 

Elsie  had  been  scarcely  less  startled  than  the  natives 
when  the  explosion  took  place  and  the  fiery  vision  ap 
peared.  She  stood  with  the  fatal  cup  still  clutched  in  hef 
hands,  seeming  turned  to  stone. 

The  creature  of  fire  advanced  straight  toward  her. 
iWhen  the  natives  fell  on  their  faces,  the  flaming  being 
flung  aside  the  whirling  wheel  of  flame  and  the  squirming 
serpent,  dashed  the  blazing  thing  from  its  head,  with  its 
hands  beat  out  some  burning  spots  about  its  person,  and 
then  clutched  Elsie. 

The  girl  did  not  cry  out ;  fear  froze  her  tongue.  She 
felt  herself  lifted  with  wonderful  strength,  flung  over  a 
strong  shoulder,  carried  away  as  if  she  were  a  sack  of 
grain. 

The  girl  felt  that  nothing  more  appalling  could  happen 
than  had  already  taken  place,  and  she  resigned  herself  to 
fate. 

After  a  little  she  heard  the  one  who  was  carrying  her 
begin  to  breathe  heavily.  They  were  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  town,  and  darkness  had  closed  around  them,  pierced 
'dimly  by  the  misty  moonlight. 

"I  have  saved  you,  little  sweetheart — I  have  saved  you ! 
[We  arrived  in  time,  thank  Heaven !" 

She  was  lowered  to  the  ground,  strong  arms  were  about 
her,  and  a  familiar  voice  sounded  in  her  ears. 

"Frank!" 

She  nearly  swooned  from  joy  as  the  word  came  from 


The  Fire  Wizard.  291 

her  lips.  She  clutched  him  with  all  her  strength,  and  she 
clung  to  him,  panting: 

"Don't  let  them  take  me  away  from  you  again !  Don't 
let  them  kill  me,  as  they  killed  Buntline  and  Jones !  Oh, 
it  was  terrible — terrible!" 

"Never  fear,  dearest!  They  shall  not  take  you  from 
me  again.  They  may  kill  us  both,  but  they  shall  not  take 
you  from  me  while  I  live!" 

She  feared  it  was  all  a  dream — feared  she  would 
awaken  to  find  herself  still  a  captive  among  the  terrible 
savages. 

"If  it  is  a  dream,  I  hope  I  may  never  awaken!"  she 
murmured. 

"It  is  no  dream,  Elsie,"  he  assured  her;  "I  am  here, 
and  you  are  saved." 

"But  how  can  it  be  true  ?  They  carried  me  miles  upon 
miles  into  this  wild  land.  How  could  you  find  me?" 

"We  followed — your  father,  Professor  Bonner,  Eph- 
raim  and  myself.  The  Commi  men  came  to  the  very  bor 
ders  of  Bakalai  land  and  then  their  hearts  failed  them. 
Mpomo  and  Okandaga  we  induced  to  stand  by  us  and 
follow  the  trail.  They  led  us  here.  By  our  united  ef 
forts  we  have  rescued  you,  although  we  came  near  being 
too  late." 

He  kissed  her  again  and  again,  and  the  joy  of  that 
moment  seemed  to  smother  her  so  it  was  with  great  diffi 
culty  that  she  could  breathe. 

After  a  time  she  asked : 

"Father — where  is  he?" 

"We  shall  find  him  soon.  He  aided  in  exploding  the 
bombs  which  so  frightened  the  natives.  Professor  Bon 
ner  is  a  very  shrewd  man,  and  he  knew  fireworks  would 
terrify  the  natives,  so  he  brought  along  a  supply  for  that 
very  purpose,  in  case  it  was  necessary  to  give  them  a 
fright.  All  this  afternoon,  since  finding  where  they  had 


292  The  Fire  Wizard. 

taken  you,  we  have  been  at  work  manufacturing  bombs, 
every  one  of  which  was  exploded  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
town  at  a  given  signal.  Then  I  appeared  with  a  fire  foun 
tain  on  my  head,  a  pinwheel  in  one  hand,  and  a  fire-ser 
pent  in  the  other,  while  some  powders  burned  on  various 
parts  of  my  person.  Years  ago  I  learned  the  magician's 
trick  of  blowing  fire  and  smoke  from  my  mouth.  I  had 
prepared  for  that,  and  it  helped  to  paralyze  the  natives. 
The  only  damage  I  sustained  came  from  a  few  burns 
given  me  by  the  blazing  powders;  but  I  had  to  beat  out 
the  flames  in  a  hurry  when  I  saw  the  trick  had  worked 
all  right,  and  the  black  rascals  were  nearly  scared  out 
of  their  senses." 

"It  is  wonderful — wonderful !"  declared  Elsie.  "I  had 
given  up  to  die — I  was  ready  to  drink  the  poison." 

When  she  had  gained  her  strength  somewhat,  they 
moved  toward  the  place  of  meeting  agreed  upon  by  the 
rescuers.  When  they  arrived  there,  Captain  Bellwood 
was  waiting.  He  clasped  Elsie  in  his  arms,  uttering  a 
prayer  of  thankfulness. 

The  others  came  up  shortly,  and  then  there  was  a  gen 
eral  handshaking.  Mpomo  and  Okandaga,  the  two  black 
men  who  had  stood  by  them  and  guided  them  to  the  vil 
lage  where  the  captive  maiden  had  been  taken,  \\nere 
praised  and  promised  rewards.  They  were  very  proud  of 
what  they  had  done. 

Elsie  told  how  she  had  fled  in  terror  when  the  Bakalai 
warriors  had  attacked  the  camp,  and  had  run  straight 
into  the  clutches  of  the  savages.  One  of  them  had  at 
tempted  to  slay  her,  but  he  had  been  checked  by  others, 
and  they  had  carried  her  away  to  become  the  wife  of  their 
king. 

Although  Elsie  had  been  rescued,  the  little  party  was 
far  from  the  coast  in  a  land  where  perils  abounded.  They 
knew  the  Bakalai  might  recover  and  pursue  them,  and 


The  Fire  Wizard.  293 

they  knew  they  might  encounter  hundreds  of  dangers; 
but  their  hearts  were  strong  when  they  turned  their  faces 
toward  the  Fernand  Vas  and  the  Saucy  Susan. 


They  passed  through  many  dangers  during  their  retreat 
to  the  coast,  but  Commi  land  was  reached  at  last,  and  the 
band  was  unbroken. 

Mpomo  and  Okandaga  were  given  many  presents,  so 
that  they  became  two  of  the  "richest"  men  of  their  tribe, 
and  were  much  envied  by  the  others. 

Captain  Bellwood  gave  thanks  when  he  stood  upon  the 
deck  of  his  vessel,  with  Elsie  by  his  side.  He  declared 
it  was  the  happiest  moment  of  his  life. 

"What  do  I  not  owe  to  you,  Frank  Merriwell !"  he  said, 
regarding  the  boy  affectionately.  "Twice  you  have  saved 
my  child  from  certain  death.  It  is  not  in  my  power  to 
sufficiently  reward  you." 

"It  may  be  some  time,"  smiled  Frank,  with  a  significant 
look  at  Elsie — a  look  that  brought  the  color  to  her  face. 

Professor  Bonner  had  not  given  up  the  project  of  find 
ing  the  "Missing  Link." 

"I  will  penetrate  to  the  land  where  those  creatures  are 
said  to  be,  or  I  will  leave  my  bones  in  Africa,"  he  de 
clared. 

"Wai,"  drawled  Ephraim  Gallup,  "I've  had  abaout  all 
I  want  uv  this  country,  by  gum!  an'  I'm  reddy  to  git 
aout.  Frank  Merriwell  may  be  a  fool  an'  try  it  aga'n, 
but  I  don't  believe  he  will." 

"No,"  smiled  Frank,  "I  hardly  think  I  will.  I  have 
been  prevailed  upon  to  sail  north  with  Captain  Bellwood. 
There  are  other  countries  I  want  to  see  now." 

Professor  Bonner  went  back  to  resume  his  remarkable 
search.  He  disappeared  into  the  great  forests  of  Equa 
torial  Africa,  from  which  he  has  never  come  forth.  It 


294  The  Fire  Wizard. 

may  be  that  he  has  perished  in  that  dark  land,  and  it  may 
be  that  he  will  some  day  come  forth  to  astound  the  world 
with  proof  of  the  existence  of  the  "Missing  Link." 


THE    END. 


"BEST  OF  ALL  BOYS'  BOOKS;; 
THE  FAMOUS 

Frank  Merriwell  Stories 

By  BURT  L.  STANDISH 

No  modern  series  of  tales  for  boys  and  youths  has 
met  with  anything  like  the  cordial  reception  and  popu 
larity  accorded  to  the  Frank  Merriwell  Stories. 

There  must  be  a  reason  for  this  and  there  is.  Frank 
Merriwell,  as  portrayed  by  the  author,  is  a  jolly,  whole- 
souled,  honest,  courageous  American  lad,  who  appeals 
to  the  hearts  of  the  boys.  He  has  no  bad  habits,  and 
his  manliness  inculcates  the  idea  that  it  is  not  necessary 
for  a  boy  to  indulge  in  petty  vices  to  be  a  hero.  Frank 
Merriwell's  example  is  a  shining  light  for  every  ambitious 
lad  to  follow. 

Twenty-four  volumes  ready 

Frank  Merriwell's  School  Days  Frank  Merriwell's  Skill 

Frank  Merriwell's  Chums  Frank  Merriwell's  Champions 

Frank  Merriwell's  Foes  Frank  MerriweU's  Return  to  Yale 

Frank  Merriwell's  Trip  West  Frank  Merriwell's  Secret 

Frank  Merriwell  Down  South  Frank  Merriwell's  Loyalty 

Frank  Merriwell's  Bravery  Frank  Merriwell's  Reward 

Frank  Merriwell's  Races  Frank  Merriwell's  Faith 
Frank  Merriwell's  Hunting  Tour  Frank  Merriwell's  Victories 

Frank  Merriwell's  Sports  Afield  Frank  Merriwell's  Power 

Frank  Merriwell  at  Yale  Frank  Merriwell's  Set-Back 

Frank  Merriwell's  Courage  Frank  Merriwell's  False  Friend 

Frank  Merriwell's  Daring  Frank  Merriwell's  Brother 

Illustrated,  cloth  binding,  5O  cents  per  volume 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 
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DAVID  McKAY,  Philadelphia 

(i) 


THE  MOTOR  POWER  SERIES 

Donald  Giayson's  Famous 
Motor  Stories  for  Boys  at 

Mr.  Grayson  is  an  accomplished  writer  of  up-to-the- 
minute  juvenile  stories  which  are  eagerly  read  by 
modern  American  lads. 

In  his  new  series,  his  characters  have  exciting  adven 
tures  with  every  kind  of  motor-driven  machines — motor 
cycles,  automobiles,  aeroplanes  and  submarines. 

You  may  readily  see  what  a  vast  field  for  adventures 
Mr.  Grayson  has  chosen. 

Now  Ready 

BOB  STEELE'S  MOTOR  CYCLE 

BOB  STEELE  ON  HIGH  GEAR 

BOB  STEELE  FROM  AUTO  TO  AIRSHIP 

BOB  STEELE  AFLOAT  IN  THE  CLOUDS 

BOB  STEELE'S  SUBMARINE  CRUISE 

BOB  STEELE  IN  STRANGE  WATERS 

BOB  STEELE'S  MOTOR  BOAT 

BOB  STEELE'S  WINNING  RACE 

BOB  STEELE'S  NEW  AEROPLANE 

BOB  STEELE'S  LAST  FLIGHT 

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BOYS  OF  LIBERTY  LIBRARY 

NEW  SERIES  of  splendid  tales  of  the  wonderful  and 
stirring  adventures  of  boys  who  fought  in  The  Revolu 
tionary  War,  The  French  and  Indian  Wars,  and  Naval 
Battles  of  1812. 
The  stories  are  written  in  an  intensely  interesting  style,  and  no 

boy  can  read  them  without  being  aroused  to  the  highest  pitch  of 

patriotic  enthusiasm. 

We  give  herewith  a  list  of  titles  now  ready.     Read  the  first  and 

you  will  want  to  read  all  the  others.     i2mo.     Cloth,  handsomely 

bound. 

PAUL  REVERE.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  FIRST  SHOT  FOR  LIBERTY.     By  John  De  Morgan. 

FOOLING  THE  ENEMY.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  HERO  OF  TICONDEROGA.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

ON  TO  QUEBEC.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

FIGHTING  HAL.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

MARION  AND  HIS  MEN.    By  John  D«  Morgan. 

THE  YOUNG  AMBASSADOR.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  YOUNG  GUARDSMAN.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  LIVELY  BEE.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  TORY  PLOT.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

IN  BUFF  AND  BLUE.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

WASHINGTON'S  YOUNG  SPY.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

UNDER  GREENE'S  BANNER.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

FOR  FREEDOM'S  CAUSE.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

CAPTAIN  OF  THE  MINUTE  MEN.    By  Harrie  Irving  Hancock. 

THE  QUAKER  SPY.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

FIGHTING  FOR  FREEDOM.    By  Lieut.  Lounmberry. 

BY  ORDER  OF  THE  COLONEL.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

A  CALL  TO  DUTY.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

IN  GLORY'S  VAN.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

THE  TRADER'S  CAPTIVE.    By  Lieut.  Louniberry. 

THE  YOUNG  PATRIOT.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

"OLD  PUT  "  THE  PATRIOT.    By  Frederick  A.  Ober. 

THE  LEAGUE  OF  FIVE.    By  Commander  Post. 

THE  KING'S  MESSENGER.    By  C«pt.  Frank  Ralph. 

DASHING  PAUL  JONES.    By  Frank  Sheridan. 

FROM  MIDSHIPMAN  TO  COMMODORE.    By  Frank  Sheridan. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  ESSEX.    By  Frank  Sheridan. 

LAND  HERO  OF  1812,    By  C.  C.  Hotchkisu. 

FOLLOWING  MAD  ANTHONY.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

THE  YOUNG  CAPTAINS.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

CAMPAIGNING  WITH  BRADDOCK.    By  William  Murray  Graydon. 

Price,  5O  cents  per  volume 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 
by  the  publisher 

DAVID  McKAY,  Philadelphia 

(3) 


THE  ROB  RANGER  SERIES 

By  LIEUT.  LIONEL  LOUNSBERRY 

A  capital  series  showing  what  can  be  accomplished  by  a  boy  of  ability  and  courage, 
Rob  is  a  hero  whose  example  of  courage,  honesty  and  manliness  can  be  followed  with 
profit.  Rob's  horse,  Silent  Sam,  and  his  dog  1  rumps,  play  an  important  part  in  the 
series,  and  cannot  fail  to  win  admiration  and  affection.  No  better  stories  for  bright 
healthy  boys  could  well  be  imagined. 

ROB   RANGER'S  MINE,  or  THE  BOY  WHO  GOT  THERE.    By  Lieut. 
Lionel  Lounsberry. 

ROB  RANGER   THE  YOUNG   RANCHMAN,  or  GOING  IT  ALONE   AT 

LOST  RIVER.    By  Lieut.  Lionel  Lounsberry. 
ROB  RANGER'S  COWBOY  DAYS,  or  THE  YOUNG  HUNTER  OF  THE 

BIG  HORN.     By  Lieut.  Lionel  Lounsberry. 

Price,  5O  cents  per  volume 

THE  CIRCUS  SERIES 

BY 

STANLEY  NORRIS  VICTOR  ST.  CLAIR 

Where  is  there  a  boy  who  does  not  love  a  circus  and  who  does  not  also  love  to  take 
a  p«cp  "  behind  the  scenes"  of  the  great  white  canvas?  There  are  adventures  galore, 
enough  to  satisfy  any  healthy  youngster. 

PHIL   THE    SHOWMAN,    or    LIFE    IN    THE    SAWDUST    RING.     By 

Stanley  Norris. 
YOUNG  SHOWMAN'S  RIVALS,  or  UPS  AND  DOWNS  OF  THE  ROAD. 

By  Stanley  Norris. 
YOUNG  SHOWMAN'S    PLUCK,  or  AN  UNKNOWN    RIDER   IN  THE 

RING.    By  Stanley  Norris. 
YOUNG  SHOWMAN'S  TRIUMPH,  or  A  GRAND  TOUR  ON  THE  ROAD. 

By  Stanley  Norrii. 
ZIG-ZAG,  THE  BOY  CONJURER,  or  LIFE  ON  AND  OFF  THE  STAGE. 

By  Victor  St.  Clair. 
ZIP,  THE  ACROBAT,  or  THE  OLD  SHOWMAN'S  SECRET.    By  Victor 

St.  Clair.  ___. 

Price,  5O  eents  per  volume 

THE  MATTHEW  WHITE  SERIES 

These  books  are  full  of  good,  clean  adventure,  thrilling  enough  to  pleas*  tht  full- 
blooded  wide-awake  boy,  yel  containing  nothing  to  which  there  can  be  any  objection 
from  those  who  are  careful  as  to  the  kind  of  books  they  put  into  the  hands  of  the  young. 


ADVENTURES  OF  A  YOUNG  ATHLETE.— A  story  of  how  a  boy  saved  his 

father's  name  and  fortune. 

ERIC  DANE. — Interesting  experiences  of  a  boy  of  means. 
GUY  HAMMERSLEY. — How  an  energetic  boy  cleared  his  name. 

MY  MYSTERIOUS  FORTUNE.— An  extremely  interesting  story  of  a  #200,000 

check. 
THE  TOUR  OF  A  PRIVATE  CAR.— Interesting  experiences  of  a  young  private 

secretary. 
THE  YOUNG  EDITOR.— Experiences  of  a  bright  boy  editing  a  weekly  paper. 

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(4) 


The  Famous  Adventure  Series 

An  ideal  series  of  books  for  boys  of  all  ages.  The  stories 
are  of  the  bright  and  sparkling  kind,  full  of  adventures  on 
land  and  sea  and  not  over-burdened  with  lengthy  descriptions ; 
in  fact,  just  the  sort  that  must  appeal  to  every  healthy  boy 
who  is  fond  of  thrilling  exploits  and  deeds  of  heroism. 

The  names  of  the  authors  give  sufficient  guarantee  to  their 
merits.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  Henry  Harrison 
Lewis,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis, 
and  has  written  a  great  many  books  for  boys. 

A  VOYAGE  TO  THE  GOLD  COAST.    By  Frank 
H.  Converse. 

An  adventurous  trip  of  New  England  boys  to  Africa. 

CAMP  IN  THE  SNOW.    By  Wm.  Murray  Graydon. 

Boys'  winter  camp  life  in  northern  New  England. 

CENTREBOARD  JIM.    By  Henry  Harrison  Lewis. 

The  secret  of  Sargasso  Sea. 

FROM  LAKE  TO  WILDERNESS.    By  Wm.  Murray 
Graydon. 

Adventures  around  the  northern  lakes. 

HOW  HE  WON.    By  Brooks  McCormick. 

Triumphs  of  a  plucky  boy  afloat  and  ashore. 

IN   SEARCH    OF   AN    UNKNOWN   RACE.     By 
Frank  H.  Converse. 

A  thrilling  story  of  exploration  in  Brazil. 

KING  OF  THE  ISLAND.    By  Henry  Harrison  Lewis. 

Strange  adventures  on  a  South  Sea  Island. 

TOM  HAVEN  WITH  THE  WHITE  SQUADRON. 
By  Lieut.  James  K.  Orion. 

The  adventures  of  a  young  inventor  of  a  submarine  boat. 

Illustrated,  cloth  binding,  5O  cents  per  volume 

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by  the  publisher 

DAVID  McKAY,  Philadelphia 

(5) 


THE  ANNAPOLIS  SERIES 

By  ENSIGN  CLARKE  FITCH,  U.  S.  N. 

A  graduate  of  the  U.  S.  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  and 
thoroughly  familiar  with  all  naval  matters.  Mr.  Fitch  has 
devoted  himself  to  literature,  and  has  written  a  series  of 
books  for  boys  that  every  young  American  should  read.  His 
stories  are  full  of  interesting  information  about  the  navy, 
training  ships,  etc. 

BOUND  FOR  ANNAPOLIS,  or  The  Trials  of  a  Sailor  Boy. 
CLIP,  THE  NAVAL  CADET,  or  Exciting  Days  at  Annapolis. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  TRAINING  SHIP,  or  Clif  Faraday's 
Pluck. 

FROM  PORT  TO  PORT,  or  Clif  Faraday  in  Many  Waters. 
A  STRANGE  CRUISE,  or  Clif  Faraday's  Yacht  Chase. 

Illustrated,  cloth  binding,  75  cents  per  volume 

THE  WEST  POINT  SERIES 

By  LIEUT.  FREDERICK  GARRISON,  U.  S.  A. 

Every  American  boy  takes  a  keen  interest  in  the  affairs  of 
West  Point.  No  more  capable  writer  on  this  popular  subject 
could  be  found  than  Lieut.  Garrison,  who  vividly  describes 
the  life,  adventures  and  unique  incidents  that  have  occurred 
in  that  great  institution — in  these  famous  West  Point  stories. 

OFF  FOR  WEST  POINT,  or  Mark  Mallory's  Struggle. 
A  CADET'S  HONOR,  or  Mark  Mallory's  Heroism. 
ON  GUARD,  or  Mark  Mallory's  Celebration. 

THE  WEST  POINT  TREASURE,  or  Mark  Mallory's  Strange 
Find. 

THE  WEST  POINT  RIVALS,  or  Mark  Mallory's  Strategem. 
Illustrated,  cloth  binding,  75  cents  per  volume 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 
by  the  publisher 

DAVID  McKAY,  Philadelphia 

(6) 


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